04/07/2022

IHP President, Sonny Richichi comments: “One year ago we delivered a petition with 35,000 signatures to Florence City Council, requesting a ban on horse-drawn carriages. The indifference must be stopped”

“We continue to see scenes of utter cruelty in the streets of our cities: horses dying from exhaustion under the sun or falling to the ground while pulling a tourist carriage.  The latest episode occurred in the past few days in Florence, where a mare ended up on the ground while pulling a cart in Via Calzaiuoli.  The time has come to make a choice: ignore the suffering of animals or evolve into a civilised society'”, says Sonny Richichi, president of IHP. 

“These episodes are not at all uncommon, but are pretty recurrent: only recently a horse died in Matera and one in the province of Oristano for similar circumstances.  The time has really come to put an end to such exploitation for tourist and recreational reasons, which are totally lacking in respect for animals.  This is an obvious problem, under everyone’s eyes, accentuated by the heat of these summer days.  Let’s stop animal abuse”. 

IHP is asking for an answer from the City Coucil of Florence, after the Association delivered a petition one year ago demanding an end to the system of horse-drawn carriages used to transport tourists in the historical centre. “This petition - adds Richichi - collected over 35,000 signatures and was delivered to the president of the Florence City Council, Luca Milani, as established by the City Council's regulations.  While we are aware that solutions must also be found so as not to create economic damages to a category of workers, we expect to receive answers in due time from the City Council.  Indifference cannot be the way forward for a city like Florence”.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Palermo, horse-drawn tourist carriages, IHP: “expert committee report insufficient” (August 2021)

“The Comune of Palermo’s regulation is a joke”, claims IHP (August 2021)

Horse-drawn tourist carriages – horse collapses in Palermo (27 July 2021)

IHP launches a petition to ban horse drawn carriages in Florence

Florence: horse used to pull the tourist carriages hits two parked cars [VIDEO] - 14 June 2021

Will the “botticelle” move to the Roman parks? may be (1 December 2020)

Verona abolishes horse-drawn tourist carriages

Palermo – IHP makes a formal cruelty complaint

Tourist Carriages - Caserta: horse collapses to the ground and dies (August 2020)

Chicago: an end to horse drawn carriages

Horse-drawn tourist carriages: IHP appeal to tourists

Botticelle: First positive steps taken by the Municipality of Rome

Botticelle: yet another equine victim of an anachronistic and uncivilised practice

Carriages four tourists in towns: an exploitation to ban