Philadelphia Carriage Company Horses Get New Home

PHILADELPHIA – In December, it was announced the Philadelphia Carriage Company would be closing in the new year after investigators found horses used by the company living in poor conditions at the North 13th Street stables.

Now, Philadelphia officials and the Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT Philly) said on Monday, Jan. 8 that the horses used by the company have been taken to Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, a non-profit horse caretaking and rescue facility in Maryland.

"We are grateful that Gentle Giants has agreed to accept these horses into their esteemed program and know that they will receive the high quality care they deserve," Vincent Medley, ACCT Philly Executive Director said in a statement.

The company was ordered to close in a court decision handed down Thursday, Dec. 21 after Philadelphia Councilman Mark Squilla and animal welfare advocates around the area led a charge to close the company's stables at 500 N. 13th St. and provide sanctuary for its horses.

Inspectors who investigated the Philadelphia Carriage Company found no appropriate pasture or roaming space for horses, dirty and poorly ventilated stables, and too-small horse stalls. Inspectors said the horses appeared malnourished and were lying in their own waste.

Gentle Giants is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that facilitates the rescue of draft horses from slaughter, abuse, and neglect, according to city officials.

Horses at the 139-acre farm in Mount Airy, Maryland, await adoptive homes or simply live out their retirement in the safety and comfort of the rescue.

The rescue does not place horses in homes with the intention of using them for commercial gain.

(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)