Exclusive: British tourist ‘is savagely attacked by a donkey taxi driver’ on Spain’s Costa del Sol while ‘trying to document animal abuse’

A BRITISH tourist has been attacked by a Mijas donkey owner after attempting to expose ‘horrific animal abuse’. 

Ian Grace, 52, began filming after seeing six horse drawn carriages operating in the pueblo despite the ‘insufferable heat’. 

The incident occurred around 06:30 pm on Sunday, August 18 despite the orange weather alert for extreme heat. 

READ MORE: Victory for donkeys in Mijas: Government announces new rules to protect animals in extreme heat – after outrage from tourists and expats

According to new town hall rules, no services should be run in such conditions. 

Shocked by the ‘stinking hot’ conditions the animals were forced to work in, Ian started filming the stables. 

All of a sudden, a donkey owner ‘ran around the barrier and smacked him in the face’. 

Ian was knocked to the ground and pinned down by the man who repeatedly punched him in the face, smashing his glasses and throwing his phone across the street. 

The British businessman claims the driver screamed ‘I’m going break your head’, leaving him with various cuts to the face and neck. 

“I’m an activist and I’ve stood up to abusers before, but I have never been assaulted like that,” Ian told the Olive Press. 

“He couldn’t abuse the animals so he turned on me instead.” 

READ MORE: Protests in Mijas over ‘donkey taxis’ for tourists: Activists demand an end to ‘exploitation’ of the ‘emblematic’ animal

The incident follows a number of videos that have surfaced online showing the donkeys collapsed in the street due to extreme heat. 

The 52-year-old lives in Shrewsbury, England, but spends much time in Spain. 

He says the tradition is a ‘stain’ on the country he loves. 

“I love Spain but this is abusive, I want to empower people to document the plight of the donkeys.”

The assault has prompted a protest urging tourists to boycott the controversial donkey taxis. 

Organised by pressure group Free Mijas Donkeys and Horses, the protest will take place on Thursday, August 22. 

It will see some 100 people gather outside the tourism office at 01:00 pm. 

Anne Freedom, the leader of Free Mijas Donkeys, claims despite the town hall’s attempts to make the practice more ethical, donkey owners ‘do not respect the rules’. 

Currently, owners are not allowed to run donkey taxis during orange and red heat alerts and should not operate between 02:00 pm-06:00 pm if yellow alerts are in place. 

While the decision has been welcomed by some, animal welfare groups argue it is merely a superficial measure. 

Yolanda Morales, spokesperson for the animal rights political party, PACMA, says: “None of the ‘rules’ regarding horse carriages or donkey riding are legally binding, they’re just recommendations. 

READ MORE: Heavy riders to be BANNED from riding donkeys in Spain’s Mijas come 2020

Meanwhile, Laura Riera, equine lead for the Foundation for the Assessment and Action in Defence of Animals (FAADA), said the ‘intelligent’ creatures are not given even the ‘minimum amount of care’. 

“They have to spend all day tied up, they can’t rest properly, they can’t wander. It’s not even the minimum level of wellbeing,” she said. 

“They have leg and muscle problems and if they rebel, they put mouth guards or bosals on to restrict them.

“Most learn to accept their own powerlessness and become extremely depressed.” 

READ MORE: Donkey taxis undergo biannual MOT check in Mijas on Spain’s Costa del Sol

According to the equine expert, the animals should not work in temperatures above 25C, restricting them to the winter months when fewer tourists visit Spain. 

“The heat affects donkeys and horses much more than people,” Riera explained.

“Their body temperatures rise much faster than ours and it’s dangerous, they can get dehydrated, have health problems, and cramps. It’s brutal”

Activists claim Mijas town hall is already considering a ban, as they are ‘fed up’ with complaints from tourists and fear they are avoiding the town altogether. 

It comes nine months after the new PP government established an animal welfare department and began introducing new measures to improve the donkeys’ wellbeing, such as dedicated veterinary services. 

Anne Freedom claims the Minister for Animal Well Being, Marco Cortes, has pledged to end the practice but says it will ‘take a long time’ to dismantle as the 65 donkeys come from 26 local families. 

When approached by the Olive Press, the council did not respond to a request for comment.

READ MORE: Donkey taxis slammed as ‘chronic mistreatment’ in Mijas on Spain’s Costa del Sol

She proposes swapping the donkeys for tuktuks or creating a new attraction by establishing a sanctuary.