Montreal seeks shelter for calèche horses
City's 1-year moratorium on horse-drawn carriages starts next week
The City of Montreal is trying to find temporary shelter for horses as the one-year moratorium on horse-drawn calèches begins next week.
Owners who cannot keep their horses can file a request with Montreal. The city is expected to help drivers find stables and associations that will take in and care for the animals before the ban sets in next Tuesday.
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The moratorium was announced on Wednesday by Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre in order to re-evaluate the dossier.
However, some owners say they plan on keeping their horses even without their revenue.
"There is no one who is going to leave behind their horses," Denis Murray, a calèche driver, said. "We're not done the fight."
The mayor said he wanted the horses to return in a year, but with tighter rules and more professional standards.
The announcement follows growing calls for a ban on the industry, spurred by a number of incidents involving the horses.
With files from Raffy Boudjikanian