From her racing day to life off track, Danica Patrick’s compassion for animals has long been part of her public identity. She often speaks about her “deep love for animals,” especially dogs, and has worked with rescue and welfare organizations like Code 3 Associates and One Cure, once even selling plush toys modeled after her dog Dallas to raise funds. And now she is directing the same passion toward one of New York’s most contentious debates.
Enter Ryder’s Law, the proposed New York City bill (Intro 0967) that aims to phase out horse-drawn carriages and ban issuance of new licenses by June 1, 2026. With a growing number of carriage horses collapsing or fleeing in recent years, the urgency behind Ryder’s Law is mounting, and it’s precisely the fight Patrick is now staking her voice in.
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Why Danica Patrick is speaking out on a cause far from NASCAR
Danica Patrick’s blunt line lands like a mic drop, as she wrote on her Instagram story, “They are trying to get Ryders Law passed in nyc but it keeps getting blocked. I have always felt so bad for city horses. Get a bike a–holes and pedal,” quoting a video addressing the horrible conditions that carriage horses live in at New York City.
Her comment channels the same public revulsion that drove the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s (ALDF) celebrity petition (Rooney & Kate Mara, Billie Eilish, Joaquin Phoenix, and others) and the wave of social-media activism demanding the City Council act.
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Patrick’s line also sits alongside a larger celebrity-backed push. The bill’s name honors “Ryder,” an emaciated carriage horse that collapsed on 9th Avenue in 2022, which went viral and sparked public outcry. The ALDF made Ryder’s story the fulcrum of a long campaign, issuing petitions, publishing FOIA-revelations about past carriage incidents, and organizing rallies that featured local council members and animal-welfare groups. Those campaigns used vivid anecdotes, including the viral footage of Ryder, to turn sympathy into organized pressure for a statutory ban and a humane transition plan.
On the political and policy front, the fight has real momentum and real pushback. Mayor Eric Adams publicly endorsed phasing out horse-drawn carriages and issued an executive order urging the Council to pass Ryder’s Law, while unions representing carriage drivers mounted heavy opposition and ad campaigns arguing for drivers’ livelihoods and better enforcement instead of a ban.
“While horse-drawn carriages have long been an iconic fixture of Central Park, they are increasingly incompatible with the conditions of a modern, heavily-used urban green space,” he said in a statement. “It has become abundantly clear that these horse-drawn carriages no longer work for our city.”
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Rallies outside City Hall, Council committee hearings where veterinarians and carriage drivers are testifying, and editorial rows over whether the industry can be reformed or must end. The courtroom and science angles keep feeding the controversy, too. The prosecution and defense in the Ryder-related criminal case produced competing anecdotes with veterinary testimony saying Ryder “was pushed beyond his limit” versus defense claims the horse simply tripped, and a jury later acquitted the driver, which in turn fed new rallies and renewed calls on both sides.
Importantly, while Patrick has publicly scolded carriage drivers, there’s surprisingly little evidence that the wider NASCAR driver community or NASCAR as an entity has mounted an organized campaign specifically for Ryder’s Law. Some motorsports figures and teams have well-documented ties to animal-welfare work, but that is different from endorsing this NYC bill.
If more entities step forward, their sports-platform megaphones could shift the local political calculus. But as of now, the public pressure is being driven by animal-welfare NGOs, high-profile entertainers, elected officials, and grassroots activists.
Danica Patrick pays emotional tribute to Charlie Kirk
On September 10, 2025, the political world was left reeling after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during a live event at Utah Valley University. Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, who had grown close to Kirk over the years, expressed her grief and admiration in an emotional tribute.
“I don’t know where to start…. @charliekirk1776 was a great American, husband, father, leader, man of faith, business man, boss, speaker, and inspiration to millions… It’s in times like these that we have to look at humanity and ask why these things happen and then the most important question…..what do we do next? I don’t have the answer… And maybe I could also say… Charlie, help us from heaven… as his energy for gods work never seemed to run out,” she wrote on X.
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Patrick revealed that her political awakening was sparked by Kirk himself, crediting her attendance at a Turning Point USA event in 2023 as her “red pill” moment. She noted how the backlash she faced for attending only strengthened her resolve, saying, “I got into politics because of @charliekirk1776. It truly was my turning point. Amfest was my first political event December of 2023, with my sister. The backlash I got for attending lit a fire under my a– and I spoke the next year at the same event on top of campaigning for @realdonaldtrump.”