We Need Your Help

Just when we think we’ve heard all the carriage operator’s excuses…

A horse down on steamy asphalt in excruciating heat in downtown Charleston. The operator tells us it’s simply a freak accident.

We’ve been told excuse after excuse by the carriage industry when a horse or mule goes down.

A carriage animal that likes to take “naps” on the asphalt during a tour, a horse that likes to lie down on sidewalks during a tour, countless horses that “trip” and “stumble” and some are even “embarrassed”.

Here are the undeniable facts: Since 2016 according to Charleston’s own record keeping there have been 145 Accidents/Incidents and counting:

  • Animals injured, even fatally
  • Children injured
  • Adults falling off and jumping off wagons
  • Drivers injured and taken to the hospital
  • Property damage

The City’s ordinance allows the MOST EXTREME TEMPERATURE READING in the NATION before animals are allowed to stop working. The thermometer is located FOUR STORIES atop a hotel and FOUR readings are required before the animals are allowed off the streets for shelter from the heat and humidity.

Are we going to let this continue? Are you ready to join us in demanding the Mayor and City Council change what we believe is a horrific, cruel ordinance?

These voiceless animals need our help. We can speak up for them. CCHA is an all-volunteer local non-profit that relies on your dollars to purchase banners, bumper stickers, pay a social media consultant to help keep our robust social media presence timely as well as pay an accountant and sometimes, like our recent win against a carriage wagon company that sought to muzzle our 1st Amendment rights, for legal assistance.

Please be a part of our efforts to gain humane working and living conditions for carriage animals in Charleston. PLEASE DONATE.

One carriage horse looks on at another carriage horse that has fallen over on the street

Our social media outreach has informed tens of thousands of concerned people locally and nationally. For the past year, CCHA has been running billboard campaigns throughout Charleston – effectively reaching thousands of visitors and residents each day. After two runaway carriage horse incidents, CCHA sponsored a billboard on I-26 depicting a runaway carriage and the tag line, “Better Safe than Sorry”. It has proven to be a powerful image. Throughout the pandemic we were on the streets, monitoring the animals, the wagonloads of tourists, the too often lack of enforcement of COVID regulations and reporting the infractions.

Billboard on the interstate that says "Better Safe Than Sorry" with a runaway horse carriage

IT TAKES $$

We are having an impact.
We are building momentum.
We want to do more.
We need your help.

We hope to continue to use social media, static billboards, digital ads and print ads to get our message out.

Pie chart of CCHA 2020 expenses

2024 Expenses

Together, we can effect change in the inhumane working and living conditions of carriage horses.