America runs on Dunkin, and apparently, that includes horses. Staten Island resident Abdul Elenani was spotted riding his 12-year-old steed Morgie through a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru this summer, and it turns out he keeps the horse in a custom-built stable in his driveway. Yes, Staten Island, borough of New York City. The assumption might be that he's breaking some sort of law, but Elenani is technically not doing anything illegal.
According to NY1, Elenani, who owns his own coffee shop called Cocoa Grinder in Brooklyn, brought the horse to his house on Staten Island in August. He built a $5,000 stable in the driveway, and he also temporarily kept a goat on the property.
Checking the legality of the act, ABC7 looked into the health codes, and Health Department Code Article 161 is written in a way that allows horses as domestic pets. Only "wild animals," which the code says are "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings," are prohibited. This specific portion of the code specifically includes "all odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyla) other than domesticated horses." According to NY1, the health inspectors have even visited the property and cleared the animal and its living conditions (the goat had to go, though).
Still, the situation is not completely copacetic. Neighbors have complained of the smell, even though Elenani reportedly cleans the waste every two days, and some want the animal gone. Read more and hear New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's take on NY1.
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