Animal welfare advocates eked out a win Thursday when the Savannah City Council voted on a controversial measure involving horse carriage tours, per the Savannah Morning News.

Savannah is four hours from Atlanta, and it's called the Hostess City of the South — a tourism magnet for its old-fashioned charm and historical vibe. 

That genteel, quintessentially Southern identity presents in a number of ways, with horse carriage rides and city tours among them. 

But like other Southern cities, Savannah is hot — it's climate is humid subtropical, prone to blistering heat in summer and mild weather in winter. As average temperatures continue to rise, hot cities get hotter, and residents worried for the city's horses.

In late June, Savannah's WTOC reported that existing policies mandated "horses must stop work when temperatures hit 95 degrees Fahrenheit or heat indexes hit 110." A proposal to use the wet bulb globe temperature would have lowered that threshold to account for extreme heat.

The City Council voted 5-4 in favor of lowering the threshold 92 degrees amid ongoing tensions over the issue. Though there was significant support for the change, horse carriage tour operators and connected businesses strongly opposed it.

The vote allowed for an incremental reduction of the threshold temperature, with a limit of 85 degrees taking effect Jan. 1.

Some business owners were chagrined by the proposal. Cara Marshall owns a horse carriage tour operation, and she spoke during a tense public hearing.

"Eighty-five is a ban without calling it a ban. It's ridiculous," Marshall said.

Many of those who approved of the change endeavored to support carriage tour operators, and e-carriages — electric conveyances that eliminate the potential of harming horses — were a popular proposed compromise. 

Should the government ban gas-powered lawn equipment? Absolutely 💯 Not yet 🤔 Only for commercial use 🏢 Nope 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"One public commenter said during the meeting he would put $500 toward crowdsourcing one of the horse tour operators an e-carriage, saying it was inevitable for Savannah to modernize its carriage tours while arguing local businesses should not be adversely impacted," the Savannah Morning News stated.

When the votes were tallied, advocates for Savannah's working horses were thrilled — but the prospect of a mayoral veto under pressure from businesses loomed.

However, animal welfare advocates such as Robyn Lowe of the group Ban Savannah Carriage Tours weren't deterred.

"We'll be right back out here," Lowe vowed should Mayor Van Johnson override the vote.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.