On the evening of April 18, 2014, Cleveland news station WKYC Channel 3 reported: "Horse appears OK after slipping, falling on Lakeside Avenue."

Horse-drawn carriages have been around for centuries, and have been primarily used for transportation of people and goods; however, today in the 21st century, we have multiple types of alternate transportation, and horse-drawn carriages need to be banned. We are targeting specific companies whose goal is not the welfare of the horses but to make as much profit as they can. As sweet and romantic as a horse and carriage ride may seem to you on a warm summer evening around Public Square, what you may not think about (or even know) is how poorly these animals are treated. These rides are not romantic. They are harsh...cruel...and need to be banned.

New York City is actually putting this ban into effect, and Cleveland should not be far behind. Animal activists, veternarians, and animal scientists believe that horse-drawn carriages are harmful to horses for the following reasons:

1. There is no way cities, full of fumes, potholes, hard road surfaces, and busy traffic patterns, provide a safe environment for horses.

2. Horses are afforded no federal protection under the Animal Welfare Act, so the responsibility of looking out for horses’ welfare falls to local animal control officials. But anti-cruelty laws provide few safeguards to horses, and many humane authorities just don’t have the resources or the time to monitor horse-drawn carriages in order to ensure that horses are not being overworked and that operators are following regulations.

3. When horses grow too old, tired, or ill to continue pulling heavy loads, they aren’t retired to green pastures and loving homes, as many people are led to believe. It’s cost-prohibitive to maintain a permanent sanctuary for the countless numbers of horses who break down in this industry. Instead, many worn out horses and turned into food for dogs or for carnivores in zoos, or else they’re shipped overseas for human consumption.

4. Horses are extremely sensitive to loud noises and unexpected sounds—and busy city streets have plenty of both. Horses and people have been seriously hurt—with some injuries resulting in fatalities—when horses have become spooked.

5. Horses are forced to pull carriages in extreme weather, including blizzard conditions and 95-degree days, just to make their passengers happy and the company's owner a few extra bucks.

* To address a concern: This petition is not referring to the communities who rely on horse-drawn carriages as their sole means of transportation.*