Samantha Mythen
ANXIOUS neighbours have been campaigning for the removal of several horses and a donkey from a nearby property for the last five months over what they allege is a case of animal abuse.
One of the campaigners Jacqueline Collins says the two horses, one of which gave birth to a foal last Wednesday, have been left in a muddy field, covered in faeces with the owners barely providing them with adequate food, water or shelter.
Collins lives near the Bahía Bella residential development where the animals are located, and has been monitoring them since October last year. She has been trying to feed them whenever she can.
Collins, alongside another concerned neighbour Lisa Jones, reported the ‘more than likely’ animal abuse to the authorities for the first time in December last year, corresponding with Animal Welfare officers from both the Los Alcázares and Cartagena City Councils.
“We are extremely concerned about their welfare,” Jones said.
Beinestar Los Alcázares provided the owners with a 10-day notice on March 12 demanding they resolve the situations and provide better shelter and food for the animals. However, weeks went by and no action was taken.
As Bahía Bella is in Cartagena, the case was passed to its city council and a vet was sent to visit the horses in late March. The vet told the women the horses were ‘okay’ and ‘they are not about to die.’
“But what is okay?” Collins said. “They are not okay at all. No shelter, no exercise, slowly starving to death.” The animals remain in the field with no access to food or water.
Another resident involved, Yara Maral, said the council had tried to help but ‘the problem here is what the country considers abuse.’
Under Spanish law, mistreatment and neglect of animals is prohibited. Owners are legally obliged to provide animals with adequate food, water and shelter, which is not being done in this case, argued Collins and Jones.
Collins explained they have had several offers from local animal shelters to take in and care for the animals, yet ‘bureaucratic hurdles’ mean the animals cannot be removed.
By law in Spain, horses must be microchipped, however these animals are not.
Jones said she has tried to reach out to the Official Classifications Authority where animals are registered to ‘get answers.’
Five months since the case was first reported, and still struggling to get action from the relevant authorities, the women have started a petition and have reached out to local politicians.
Podemos Cartagena spokesperson Leli García visited the animals last week.
She said the whole situation has been an example of relevant authorities ‘washing their hands’ clean of the matter, by just passing the case along.
“We could continue like this for another five months, passing the buck from city council to city council, while the animals suffer and could even die,” she said.
“It’s clear that in Cartagena, they’re more interested in a mascletá than in the wellbeing of the animals.”
García said the Podemos party will continue to monitor the case’s progress.
Gold and Jones reached out to the Cartagena council earlier this month for an update but have still not received a reply. The Cartagena has been approached for comment.
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