ANIMAL rights groups are up in arms after a taxi donkey ‘died alone’ in its pen in Mijas at the weekend.
Political group PACMA has said it is already putting together a legal complaint against the owner after the mule was left to die ‘despite several reports to Guardia Civil and the town hall’.
Dog walkers discovered the donkey lying on its side ‘braying in pain’, but their calls to the authorities were allegedly ignored.
“It’s very sad and could have been prevented,” said PACMA candidate Eva Ramos, “another animal victim of tourist exploitation.
“PACMA is the only political party that wants to end the donkey-taxis of Mijas and other animal-based tourist attractions, including horse-drawn carriages.
“Mijas is a beautiful town, it has sun, the beach and good people. Your local government mistakenly believes that the donkey-taxi service is a tourist attraction; however, most of the video and photo-complaints that we receive are from tourists, many of them foreigners, horrified by this type of animal exploitation and the conditions in which burritos are kept.”
The animal is believed to have developed colic, a digestive disease associated with horses and donkeys.
Horacio Stuchetti, Partido Popular animal welfare boss for Mijas, told the Olive Press he has placed two denuncias against the owner for the mistreatment of the animal and the poor condition of the stable.
“A local woman called me saying she had heard a donkey crying in pain. When she got close to the stable she saw what she saw…,” the official told the Olive Press, “There needs to be a really important change in the donkeys’ working and living conditions. It’s unfair.”
He said the owner told him the donkey was being treated by a vet and would send the veterinary documents. Stuchetti is yet to receive them.
“Regardless, the state of the stables is not in line with appropriate living conditions,” he added.
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