By Canadian Press

Montreal offers to help find new homes for carriage horses as industry ends

Apr 10, 2019 | 11:35 AM

Montreal is announcing a program to help ensure the city’s caleche horses are sent for adoption after the horse-drawn carriage industry is shut down at the end of this year.

The city will offer to buy the animals for $1,000 each and give them to the SPCA, which will work with a refuge to find them new homes.

Coun. Sterling Downey says the voluntary program will ensure owners have options other than sending their horses to slaughter when the caleches are taken off the roads.

The administration announced last year that it would phase out the caleches by 2020 after several accidents involving the horses raised concerns about their welfare.

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There are currently about 50 horses and 47 drivers working in an industry that caters largely to tourists.

Downey says the city will also work with the drivers to help them find new employment.

The Canadian Press