Philadelphia just banned horse-drawn carriages for good. Days later, a horse named Dennis collapsed and died on the pavement of Central Park while pulling a tourist carriage in New York City. The case against this industry has never been clearer — and Newport, Rhode Island is one of the few Northeastern cities where horse-drawn carriages still operate.
Newport's narrow historic streets, cobblestone lanes, and packed summer tourist season create exactly the conditions that make carriage horses most vulnerable. These are prey animals navigating some of the most congested, noise-filled, and chaotic urban environments in New England — surrounded by cars, tour buses, cyclists, and thousands of visitors every day. When a horse spooks on Bellevue Avenue or Thames Street, there is no safe place for it to go.
This is not about tourism. Newport draws millions of visitors every year to its Gilded Age mansions, its harbor, and its legendary arts scene. None of that depends on horses pulling carriages through traffic. What it depends on is a city that takes pride in how it treats every living creature within its limits.
Philadelphia moved to ban carriages even after its last operator had already closed — because the principle mattered. Newport has the chance to act with the same foresight — before a horse dies on its streets, before a tourist is injured, and before the city is forced to respond to a tragedy instead of preventing one.
We're calling on Newport Mayor Charlie Holder and the Newport City Council to introduce and pass legislation banning horse-drawn carriages and lead Rhode Island into a more humane future for animals and tourism alike.