New Orleans took a step forward years ago by removing horses from commercial tourist carriages, but a massive loophole remains: hundreds of mules are still exploited daily. In the suffocating humidity and blistering heat of the French Quarter, these animals are forced to pull heavy loads of tourists on hard pavement, often working until heat index levels reach dangerous extremes. 

Mules possess the exact same capacity to feel pain, exhaustion, and heat stress as horses. Subjecting them to grueling shifts in dense city traffic is inhumane and outdated. 

We are calling on Mayor Helena Moreno and the New Orleans City Council to amend City Code Chapter 170 to completely ban all equines—including mules, horses, and donkeys—from pulling commercial carriages. 

We demand that the city:

• Enact a total ban on equine-drawn commercial carriages within city limits.

• Transition French Quarter tourism to humane, eco-friendly alternatives like electric pedicabs or motorized brass-era replicas.

• Mandate that carriage operators surrender retired mules to verified equine sanctuaries rather than auctions.

New Orleans is a city of culture and compassion. Let’s show the world we care for the animals that have suffered for our tourism. Sign now to demand a total ban on mule-drawn carriages!