Articles: horses

Do horses belong in traffic on busy streets of cities like Chicago? Aside from some cities allegedly working the horses too often and in weather that is too hot or too cold, and regularly breathing in exhaust fumes, according to a recent study, horses show behavioral signs of poor welfare while housed in box stalls,…

Chicago Alliance for Animals leader Jodie Wiederkehr and myself join John Williams HERE on WGN radio to talk about the latest with the horse drawn carriage rides. There are likely enough votes in Chicago City Council to ban the horse rides, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot may not allow there to be a vote. What!!!??!!!! HEAR…

Should horse-drawn carriage rides be working in Chicago? On WGN Radio’s Steve Dale’s Pet World radio show listen here as I talk with Jodie Wiederkerhr of Chicago Alliance for Animals about the possibility and hopefully likelihood of banning the horse-drawn carriage rides in Chicago. For several years Wiederkerhr and other volunteers are have documented example after example of…

Horse-drawn carriage rides have been common in cities around the world for decades. One problem is that we live in a different world today. And another is that Chicago, at least, carriage drivers are allegedly frequently not adhering to the safety and comfort of the horses first, or even Chicago’s current ordinance. Here’s what I’m…

The most devastating California wildfires ever. Over 7,100 structures are gone as a result of the Camp Fire in middle of the State of California. So far, media reports 242 deaths but well over 200 people and many more animals remain missing.  Officials suggest the death toll will continue to climb, and perhaps significantly so.…

Guests on my WGN Radio show HERE: Veterinary parasitologist Dr. Michael Dryden on how the fall is the most common time of year ticks may give Lyme to dogs, and Dr. Kurt Venator, chief medical officer at Purina. I talked about the East Asian or long-horned tick which entered the country somehow via Asia. And…

Pony parties? If you’re thinking old-school riding on a pony, this takes children’s birthday parties a step or two beyond that. It’s a horse painting party, and the canvas are real horses. Ponies are painted with a reportedly non-toxic, non-harmful substances.  Some contend the ponies actually enjoy the attention. Of course, they have no idea…

When Benji was first created in 1974, it was a tough sell. Joe Camp was a totally unknown commodity to Hollywood, and the idea of shelter dog starring in a major family film seemed “crazy.” Turns out, Camp’s family friendly idea was just right for the time, and Hollywood’s initial response proved to be very…

A vote by the House Appropriations Committee on July 12 might lay groundwork to bring horse slaughter and processing of horse meat back to the U.S. To date, there is no horse slaughtering facility in the U.S., but horses are transported routinely to Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) pushed to renew what…

Anne Beall puts it nicely: She says it’s the human-animal bond that makes us human. Here, we talk about that bond, which she explores in her book, Heartfelt Connections. Beall and I compare the differences between the relationships we have with animals and humans. Arguably the biggest difference is that animals are capable of unconditional leave. Sometimes,…