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Our Impact for 2020: With your help, Charleston Carriage Horse Advocates was able to reach over 2,360,000 social media users throughout the U.S. to highlight what we believe is inhumane treatment of the animals that work the streets of Charleston as well as safety issues that affect passengers, pedestrians and the horses and mules.

We covered in all its tragic detail, Ervin’s story. The beautiful young black carriage horse that was spooked and careened through downtown Ansonborough neighborhood while families on the streets and sidewalks watched in horror as he pulled a half-hitched trailer behind him and incurred an injury to his leg that cost him his life.

The Danger of Carriage Tours: We covered carriage-related incidents 110 of them since 2016 on Charleston city streets. We (and you!) videotaped innumerable wagons ignoring Stop signs and even running red lights on congested urban streets. We recorded drivers, mostly turned backwards—facing passengers while giving their tours, seemingly leaving horses and mules to make traffic decisions! Bodily injuries, cars and trucks sideswiped by wagons, equipment failures and more occurred and were reported to the City (check out our website for a complete listing of City reports).

Model City Ordinance Proposed:

And, we did something about carriage wagon safety issues. At our expense we hired local attorneys to draw up a model Citizen Carriage Safety Ordinance that is now being reviewed by the City with several City Council members already interested in working with us to pass the legislation:

https://www.charlestoncarriagehorseadvocates.com/our-blog/2021/3/5/description-of-citizen-carriage-safety-ordinance

How you can help: Your vigilance, sending in videos and photos, staying abreast of this issue that affects so many animal and human lives, and your generosity have enabled us to get to this point.

Now we stand ready to continue our fight, focusing on Safety legislation that will protect horses, mules, pedestrians and passengers in Charleston and working hard alongside you to bring about meaningful changes and improving pedestrian, passenger and animal safety. We will work to bring sanity and accountability to local government to eliminate the extreme temperature regulation forcing animals to remain on hot, steamy asphalt until FOUR (4) readings atop a hotel have been read at a sizzling 95 degrees before they are allowed to stop touring.

You can help prevent mistreatment of animals. Join in helping give these animals a voice. Forward this letter to your friends. Re-post our social media posts to your pals.

And Please, donate right now. On our website. It’s a couple of clicks. Be there for these voiceless animals. The horses and mules thank you.