Company To Weigh In on Horse-Drawn Carriage Debate

Manhattan Mini Storage, the company that has gained notoriety for its politically themed billboards, will launch a new advertising campaign next month targeting horse-drawn carriages in Central Park.

Wading into a local debate fueled by animal rights activists about whether horse-drawn carriages should be allowed to operate in the city, the company will allow its customers to support a ban on the carriages by offering to donate $25 to the Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages for every storage space rented.

The horse-drawn carriage industry is arguing that the advertising and fund-raising campaign is part of a plan to outlaw the carriages that ferry tourists through Central Park and on Midtown streets so the storage company can buy the land currently occupied by two carriage stables. The stables are situated near real estate owned by Edison Properties, the company that controls Manhattan Mini Storage.

"Two of our stables are right next to a Manhattan Mini Storage," a public relations representative for the Horse and Carriage Association of New York, Carolyn Daly, said. "We believe this is about a real estate interest" and that Manhattan Mini Storage "does not have a horse or animal interest whatsoever."

Manhattan Mini Storage said it has no interest in the properties. "Manhattan Mini Storage does not want to buy their property," a vice president of marketing, Stacy Stuart, said. "We have nothing to do with their industry. It's truly just a matter of bringing attention to the facts of what's going on with the animals."

The stables in question are situated on 37th and 45th streets on Eleventh Avenue. Several Manhattan Mini Storage sites are in that general area, though none are directly adjacent to the stables, according to the company's Web site.

The future of the city's horse-drawn carriages has drawn attention in recent months, with a City Council member, Tony Avella, proposing in December legislation that would ban the horse-drawn carriages. Mayor Bloomberg and the speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, have said they oppose the legislation, citing the tourism benefits of the carriages. The industry employs 221 horses and 293 drivers. The donations to the Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages are part of a larger effort by the storage company to support various causes. In addition to the horse coalition, storage customers will be able to support Planned Parenthood NYC, Citymeals-on-Wheels, the New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, and Animal Haven, which promotes the spaying and neutering of animals.

The company also is introducing new billboards that will advertise on behalf of five organizations. The tagline for the advertising campaign will be: "Save more than yourself." The company predicts that it will give away $200,000 in total.

Manhattan Mini Storage has a reputation for advertising with messages from the political left. Previous ads include one featuring the sentence, "Your closet is scarier than Bush's agenda," and another that says, "Your closet space is shrinking as fast as her right to choose," alongside a picture of a coat hanger.

Ms. Stuart says the company has no liberal agenda.

Speaking about the horse-drawn carriage issue, Ms. Stuart said: "It's something we see out there as New Yorkers, and it's an issue that caught our eye."