I am very pleased to announce that my new book Who Speaks For The Carriage Horses? The Future Of Animals In Our World will go on sale next Monday, July 14. This is an e-book, it will be offered for sale everywhere e-books are sold for $3.99 – Amazon, Ibooks, Bn.com, all e-book and smartphone readers. There are no plans to offer this book in paper, I am planning some appearances in New York City this summer.
The book is dedicated to the New York carriage horse drivers, I hope it will one day help bring them peace and freedom to pursue their work and way of life. The book is hopefully a comprehensive and reported look at the truth behind this now famous and painful controversy between the carriage trade and the collection of people, politicians and organizations who title themselves supporters of animal rights. It documents a shameful failure of media to check out any truth of facts behind this controversy over the years, to be manipulated and misled by animal rights organizations.
The book explores the reality of the lives of the carriage horses, the truth about working animals, the rage and dishonesty that has shrouded this campaign, the largely unwarranted persecution of the carriage trade owners and drivers, and the failure of our political system to understand what abuse is and to protect people or animals from people who would exploit them for political or personal gains. There is lots of fresh material here, and I’m very proud of the work that went into this, it combined my work with animals with my love of facts, journalism and reporting. I believe words matter, I believe the truth will always emerge into the light.
Beyond the issue itself, the book takes a deeper look at the future of animals in our world. The modern-day animal rights movements seems to be removing animals from our lives more than protecting them and the horses seem to have called on us to consider their fate in a wiser and more thoughtful way. The carriage horses have been in New York City as long as people have, and if there is no will to keep them in their safe and busy stables, what does this mean for the future of animals who are not just pets? Will domesticated animals exist only on rescue preserves and the homes of TV celebrities?
I was shocked when I began exploring this story, almost nothing about what I had been told about the horses was true. I care about facts and truth, I believe the book presents both. The book will go on sale next Monday morning, I am as excited about it as any book I have written. It will cost $3.99, a portion of the proceeds will go to the fund to save the horses.