Arrr, a scurvy New York scallywag be facin' a charge o' cruelty fer mistreatin' a horse what collapsed in Manhattan!
2023-11-15
Arr, ye scurvy dog Ian McKeever, a carriage horse driver of 54 summers, be havin' been charged wit' misdemeanour animal cruelty in the fair city of Manhattan! The frail beast he be drivin' did collapse in August of the year 2022.
A carriage horse driver named Ian McKeever has been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty after his horse, Ryder, collapsed on the streets of Manhattan. McKeever was charged with overdriving, torturing, and injuring an animal, as well as failing to provide proper sustenance for the horse. Video footage showed McKeever pulling on Ryder's reins and whipping the horse. The incident occurred on August 10, 2022, during the evening rush hour. According to the criminal complaint, McKeever had been working Ryder since 9 a.m. on a hot summer day without providing the horse with any water. When Ryder collapsed, a police officer removed his harness and provided ice and cold water to cool him down. Ryder, who was estimated to be 26 years old and suffering from health issues, including pancytopenia, was euthanized two months later due to his poor health.Despite the incident, carriage horses are still in operation in Central Park, which has been a point of contention for animal welfare advocates. Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had promised to retire the carriage horses during his 2013 campaign, but no action has been taken thus far. Ryder's death has further sparked outrage and calls for banning horse-drawn carriages. McKeever's attorney, Raymond Loving, has not yet provided a comment on the charges. This case joins a string of recent incidents involving animal cruelty, including an Alabama woman charged with dozens of dead horses and malnourished dogs and a Texas woman arrested for felony animal cruelty after dozens of horses and dogs were found dead on her property.