Animal activists win major battle: No more horse-drawn carts

Santo Domingo.-The country’s animal protection activists won a major battle Thursday, with the publication of the Animal Protection Act, from the Law which bans the use of animals for hauling carts or other vehicles in the sale of foods.

The measure, considered a great step forward for Dominican society, provides shelter to victims of human cruelty, vendors and other social sectors argue that the piece fails to solve the problem of the more than 1,500 families who depend on draft horses.

Gabriel Pimentel, head of the Mercado Nuevo’s farm product vendors grouped in Los market Caballitos, said in 2007 the organization created a project which trains and capitalizes its members to replace the carts with trucks.

He said the project was carried out with the support of various government agencies and city councils, Taiwan’s Government and Interior and Police, and Public Health ministries.

Pimentel said the initiative aims to finance the trucks with RD$192,000 per vehicle, while the City councils will have the authority to confiscate the carts and horses on their thoroughfares.