Confiscated Carriage Horses Given New Lease on Life
In December, it was reported that the second-to-last carriage horse company in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Carriage Company, would be ending operations on New Year’s Eve. The owner of the company and the carriage horses, Han Hee Yoo, faced allegations that she kept the animals in squalid living conditions, including too-small pens , poor ventilation, and rodent infestation. The charge to close the business down was led by Philadelphia Councilman Mark Squilla acting on the concerns of several animal rights activist groups. An agreement finalized in Common Pleas Court decided that the horses should be transferred to some sort of sanctuary where they could be properly cared for and nurtured. It seems such a refuge has been found.
The former carriage horses will live out their days on an enormous farm, free to run in the sunshine.
Philadelphia officials and the Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT Philly) announced this week that the carriage horses had been re-homed at Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, a non-profit horse caretaking and rescue facility in Maryland. Vincent Medley, ACCT Philly Executive Director made a statement on the situation: “We are grateful that Gentle Giants has agreed to accept these horses into their esteemed program and know that they will receive the high quality care they deserve.”
According to the Philadelphia Patch: “Gentle Giants is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that facilitates the rescue of draft horses from slaughter, abuse, and neglect, according to city officials. Horses at the 139-acre farm in Mount Airy, Maryland, await adoptive homes or simply live out their retirement in the safety and comfort of the rescue. The rescue does not place horses in homes with the intention of using them for commercial gain.”
It’s much nicer to think of those majestic creatures having room to run freely in the sunshine and receiving excellent care than cooped up in a nasty stable being made to pull people around in a carriage all day. This is definitely a happy ending for the former carriage horses.
