South Lake Tahoe is a city rich in tourism, outdoor adventures, wildlife, and natural beauty and sits on one of the world's purest alpine lakes. Being one of the most stunning areas in the United States, it attracts visitors from all over the world. We pride ourselves on Keeping Tahoe Blue, wildlife conservation, and preserving our ecosystem; how can we not have the same sentiment toward our horses? South Lake Tahoe has so much to offer its residents and tourists – a horse carriage ride is a completely outdated and unnecessary activity.     

Animals are not ours to abuse for monetary gain. They exist for their own reasons and feel pain just like we do. The horses that spend their lives in slavery, pulling people around the streets of our city, deserve better. Their daily routines are extremely unnatural and horrific.  

The following comes from http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/horse-drawn-carriages/

Forcing horses to pull oversized loads isn't romantic or fun—it's cruel. Horses are forced to toil in all weather extremes, dodge traffic, and pound the pavement all day long. These gentle animals suffer from respiratory ailments because they breathe in exhaust fumes, and they develop debilitating leg problems from walking on hard surfaces. In some cases in other cities, horses have even dropped dead from heat stroke after working in scorching summer heat and humidity. Can we really have these things on our conscious if that happens in our town, if it's something that is easily preventable?

Horses are extremely sensitive to loud noises and unexpected sounds—and busy streets have plenty of both, especially around the Casinos at Stateline. 

Please ban horse-drawn carriages in South Lake Tahoe - they are unsafe, cruel, outdated, and set a poor example for our youth and our visitors - and transition to electric horseless carriages or bike pedicabs! Electric carriages are an innovative and eco-friendly form of transportation that are increasingly being used in cities around the world, largely prompted by the growing trend of “cruelty-free tourism”. They have the same look as horse-drawn carriages – all that's different is there is no horse pulling the carriage! Though nostalgic in appearance, they are also thoroughly modern – battery-operated and eco-friendly. They're a win-win for everyone – especially the horses! And if our city isn't ready for that, pedicabs are an easy alternative that would also provide great active summer jobs to people that need them. 

Let's show other cities what it means to stand up for animals. All beings deserve love and compassion. It's time for the city of South Lake Tahoe to ban horse-drawn carriages and transition to cruelty-free tourism!

Please share far and wide! People across the country are uniting to stop horse carriage rides in their cities and let's make South Lake Tahoe an example for those to follow.