A graphic billboard paid for by PETA was erected near the site in Hell’s Kitchen where Lady, a Central Park carriage horse, suddenly collapsed and died on August 5. The sign, urging an end to carriage rides, reignited calls to pass Ryder’s Law, legislation aimed at banning carriage horses in Central Park following previous horse deaths. The Central Park Conservancy, breaking years of neutrality, also urged lawmakers to end the practice, citing concerns over public safety, park damage, and sanitation issues.

However, the carriage drivers’ union defended the industry, noting that Lady’s death was due to an aortic rupture caused by a tumor, as revealed by a necropsy, and not conditions related to carriage work. They criticized the Conservancy for abandoning the park’s historic tradition, pointing out that the park’s carriage drives were originally designed for horse-drawn tours. Lady had recently arrived from Pennsylvania and passed a city-mandated physical before her unexpected death.