Ending this pony ride and petting zoo contract sets a positive precedent and ends a bygone era of treating animals as commodities without considering their emotional and physical wellbeing. Now is the perfect time to switch all city parks to non-animal entertainment models.
Thank you to one activist's persistent activism: Zohra Fahim, Founder and President of Los Angeles Alliance for Animals
In Defense of Animals and Los Angeles Alliance for Animals
claim a decisive victory for animals as Griffith Park Pony Rides and
Petting Zoo will be forced to stop operating in the park by the City
of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The department
announced its decision not to renew the contract for 2023 on Dec. 3.
As of Dec. 22, the business will be closed to the public marking the
end of 74 years of animal suffering, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.
“We’re thrilled that the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and
Parks has addressed concerns raised by over 1,000 In Defense of
Animals supporters, actress Richa Moorjani, and the Los Angeles
Alliance for Animals,” said Lisa Levinson, Los Angeles County
resident and Campaigns Director at In Defense of Animals.
“Ending
this pony ride and petting zoo contract sets a positive precedent
and ends a bygone era of treating animals as commodities without
considering their emotional and physical wellbeing. Now is the
perfect time to switch all city parks to non-animal entertainment
models. Many options are available, including environmental
education, where families can learn how to respect and care for
native plants and animals within the park. We urge the Griffith Park
Pony Rides and Petting Zoo to send its previously working animals to
a sanctuary.”
“We're at a time right now that we need to not have pony rides
because it's teaching children the wrong lesson that these ponies
are carnival equipment, and they're not,” Zohra Fahim, Founder and
President of Los Angeles Alliance for Animals told NBC4 News. “He
has pushed geriatric ponies in Los Angeles heat waves up to 100
degrees. We have ponies not having water, not just once, but
multiple times over a year I have documented.”
“We are grateful that the city has taken the appropriate steps to
close down Griffith Park Pony Rides and Petting Zoo. Animal abuse
and cruelty don’t align with the values of Angelenos,” Fahim stated
to In Defense of Animals.
In Defense of Animals partnered with the Los Angeles Alliance for
Animals to expose footage showing how senior ponies were overworked
without rest, did not receive water for long periods, and were
denied protection against hot temperatures. Workers prodded for
several hours to provide rides to children when they refused to move
any further. Other animals were documented suffering, including a
sheep in distress and rabbits sitting in the hot sun with no shade
or water in the petting zoo over the summer.
Public pressure prompted the City of Los Angeles to assign a
third-party equine veterinarian to report on the wellbeing of the
ponies and horses at Griffith Park Pony Rides. The veterinarian
reported ponies with untreated saddle sores, hoof issues, lameness,
and dental problems. Based on dental examinations, the vet found
many ponies to be in their senior years, between 20 and 30 years old
— an age when they should be enjoying retirement.
Over the past year, In Defense of Animals has encouraged supporters
to reach out to Los Angeles Recreation and Park Commissioners, City
Council, and Mayor Eric Garcetti to take action on these animal
welfare issues at Griffith Park Pony Rides and Petting Zoo and
eliminate pony ride concession contracts in the city, so this type
of neglect cannot happen elsewhere.
In Defense of Animals supporters sent over 1,000 emails urging
decision-makers to replace this concession, and calling for all of
the animals at Griffith Park Pony Rides and Petting Zoo to retire to
a sanctuary.
On Dec. 1, Katie Nolan, General Campaigner for In Defense of Animals
spoke at the Los Angeles City Council meeting to oppose the
continued suffering of ponies at Griffith Park.
“We are very grateful to Richa Moorjani and everyone who took action
for the ponies, and most of all to the City of Los Angeles
Department of Recreation and Parks,” said Nolan. “The department’s
decision sends a message that Los Angeles will not tolerate animal
suffering for entertainment. We urge the city to adopt an
animal-free entertainment policy and encourage operator Steve Weeks
to send these ponies to the sanctuary arranged for them. Now, these
elderly ponies have a chance at a better life, and Griffith Park has
the opportunity to educate visitors in a more positive way. All the
animals deserve a life worth living, and especially the senior
animals who have suffered so long.”
Los Angeles-based actress Richa Moorjani joined In Defense of
Animals in November to call for an end to animal abuse at the
Griffith Park Pony Ride and Petting Zoo. Photos: Los Angeles
Alliance for Animals, Richa Moorjani/Instagram
In November, actress Richa Moorjani, well-known for her portrayal of
Kamala in the Netflix comedy-drama series Never Have I Ever, joined
In Defense of Animals in urging the Los Angeles City Council and
Mayor Eric Garcetti to eliminate pony ride concession contracts in
the city. Mistreatment at Griffith Park Pony Rides and Petting Zoo
prompted the Los Angeles star to call on city leaders to send all
the animals to a sanctuary and replace the park with a non-animal
model.
“Elderly ponies and horses are being abused and neglected for
entertainment, right in the heart of Los Angeles, it is beyond
disheartening,” Moorjani said at the time. “Horses are highly
intelligent, emotional and sensitive beings that deserve to live and
roam freely, not exploited for profit in the name of ‘fun.’ The
conditions these animals are forced to work in are disturbing and
unacceptable, and it is heartbreaking to see their very evident
suffering. I urge you to please join me and stand with In Defense of
Animals — demand the Griffith Park Pony Rides and Petting Zoo be
replaced with non-animal ‘entertainment,’ and send all of the
animals to a sanctuary where they can be given a chance to live
happily without suffering.”
Thanks to Los Angeles Parks and Recreation’s decision not to renew
the Griffith Park Pony Rides and Petting Zoo concession contract and
the dedication of Los Angeles animal activists, Moorjani’s vision of
the ponies living happily ever after is one step closer to becoming
a reality.