A legal fight over horse-drawn carriage tours is unfolding in Savannah, Georgia, just as Memorial Day weekend saw temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

The battle is increasingly putting animal welfare concerns and business pressures on a collision course, as the Savannah Morning News reported.

What's happening? 

Savannah's two major horse-drawn carriage companies are suing the city over a rule that stops tours once temperatures hit 85 degrees.

According to the report, the plaintiffs are Cara Marshall of Carriage Tours of Savannah and Savannah Carriage Tours LLC, which Gary Sessoms owns. They filed suit in Chatham County Superior Court on May 18 seeking to block Savannah's heat-based operating limit.

The ordinance at the center of the case was approved by the Savannah City Council last August in a narrow 5-4 vote, the paper said. It bars carriage operations when temperatures reach 85 degrees or higher.

The measure followed intense public debate, with animal welfare advocates arguing that stricter heat protections were needed and carriage operators insisting the rule would hurt their businesses.

Now, the companies are arguing that Savannah's ordinance is overridden by a new Georgia law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on April 22. The Savannah Morning News revealed that HB 413 says municipalities cannot regulate "animal husbandry practices" on public roads.

State Rep. David Jenkins, who sponsored the bill, framed the issue bluntly on Facebook.

"Essentially the City of Savannah passed some very restrictive ordinances that threatened the viability of the carriage horse industry," he wrote. "This bill prevents cities from doing that."

The operators are also seeking a temporary restraining order so the city cannot enforce the ordinance while the case plays out in court, as the Savannah Morning News reported.

In Savannah, the issue drew more than 90 minutes of public comment last summer and even spilled into confrontation during a demonstration near a carriage stand.

Why does it matter?

The outcome could shape what animal welfare rules local governments are actually able to enforce. It also affects workers, visitors, and residents who share crowded downtown streets during peak tourism periods.

Marshall's court affidavit describes Memorial Day weekend as "one of the most economically significant weekends of the year" and says a forced shutdown would cost about $6,500 per day. That could extend to upcoming holidays like July 4.

"Without immediate judicial relief, Plaintiffs will be forced to choose between two impossible options," the complaint stated, per the Savannah Morning News. The two options were defying the ordinance or shutting down completely.

Animal advocates counter that a lower temperature threshold is exactly what's needed to keep horses from being made to work in potentially dangerous heat.

What's being done?

For now, the matter is in court, where a judge could decide whether Savannah's ordinance can stand or whether the new state law blocks it.

The city has not commented publicly on the active litigation. The Savannah Morning News reported that its only court filing so far is an entry of appearance from City Attorney Bates Lovett.

While the complaint argues that the companies would face severe financial losses if the rule remains in effect, Lovett is standing by the city's right to back the ordinance, per the Savannah Morning News.

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