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SALT LAKE CITY — Downtown's embattled horse-drawn carriage company unexpectedly shuttered its business, leaving the question of whether carriages will be seen again on Salt Lake City streets.
Carriage for Hire, the company that owned Jerry, a horse that died after collapsing in his harness downtown last year, pulled its carriages from the streets without explanation and left a simple voice message explaining it was closing.
"Thank you everyone for the support and the kindness you have shown us," the message said, explaining that the company has sold its property downtown and will be moving in two or three months.
Carriage for Hire, which operated in Salt Lake City for nearly three decades and has been the only local carriage company in recent years, came under sharp criticism immediately after Jerry, who died of colic, collapsed in front of concerned witnesses on the crowded street.
The Humane Society, PETA and concerned residents immediately began calling to have horse-drawn carriages banned in Salt Lake City. Earlier this year, the Salt Lake City Council adopted new regulations governing working conditions for carriage horses in the city.
Since then, all has been quiet.
"This surprised me as much as anybody," said Councilman Charlie Luke, who led the City Council in considering new regulations.
With Carriage for Hire gone, Luke said he believes the city could consider adopting a ban on horse-drawn carriages altogether.
"The question now that we as a council will be addressing is, if we don't have a company operating in downtown Salt Lake, if in fact we are interested in keeping that option open or if we want to end the practices of carriages downtown," he said. "I imagine that we will be putting something on our agenda."
Luke said there had been no complaints about Carriage for Hire complying with the new regulations since they were adopted in February.
PETA representatives called Jerry's death a "wake-up call" for Salt Lake City on Thursday.
"PETA's motto includes 'animals are not ours to use for entertainment,' and dozens of protests have shown that horse-drawn carriages have no place in a modern metropolis," said PETA deputy general counsel Delcianna Winders. "New York City will be the next to leave this archaic and cruel industry behind."
Humane Society of Utah officials said they welcome the news that Carriage for Hire had closed down while offering condolences to the company's employees. The local organization affirmed its stance that horse-drawn carriages should not be allowed downtown, a practice it says puts animals and the public at risk.
"Urban areas present dangerous and stressful conditions for horses to work and live in. They stand the very real risk of overheating on hot asphalt while having to endure loud noises and breathe exhaust fumes for several hours a day. In the winter months, they are forced to work in frigid, inclement conditions," spokesman Carl Arky said.
