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A PROTEST against the use of donkey taxis in Mijas has been organised after outrage over sightings of ‘emaciated and ill’ donkeys.
Michael Wisniewski said his partner was in tears when she saw the donkeys’ condition during a trip to the pueblo in this month.
He said that some donkeys were in good condition, while others looked weak and sick. They were also strapped into a metal frame carriage.
The ex-soldier went on to say he ‘had seen some things’ in his time, and the donkey’s situation seemed ‘very cruel.’ He said, “It was heartbreaking and sad to watch this.”
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He feels that the donkeys must be inspected, and asked the local authorities why they seemed to ignore the animal abuse.
He says that in Spain, animal cruelty is justified by their tourism. “The tourists need to open their eyes and stop participating in such a cruel venture that is based on money, cruelty, and lack of compassion. A real human would stop it.”
Animal rights activists have been calling for the ban of heavy riders since 2018. In 2020, after a two-year long campaign, riders who weighed more than 80kg were banned.
The Mijas townhall said that important measures had been taken since the current team of government came into office to ensure the welfare of the donkeys, including creating an Animal Welfare Department, and hiring a municipal veterinarian.
In the last year, there were new rules introduced to protect animals against extreme heat.
Taxis and horse-drawn carriages are prohibited when Aemet, the official weather agency, issues an orange level or red level alert.
When there is a yellow alert, the services will be unavailable between 2pm and 6:30pm, which is when it’s hottest.
When Wisniewski visited Mijas, he noticed ‘jail cells with bars and only a small standing space on concrete floors’ where he assumed the owners kept the donkeys overnight. He says, “There are no grassy fields for these poor souls.”
However, a town hall spokesperson said plans are in place to create a ‘recreational park’ for the donkeys, with more spacious stables and a museum sharing the story of the donkey taxis’ with visitors. The donkeys are already provided with shaded areas, as well as more drinking fountains.
They said, “The Department is working on implementing new measures that will prioritize the interests of both the animal and the municipality over all others.”
The number of licenses issued will be reduced by 10% over the next four-year period.
“The department is monitoring the number of daily walks these animals take, and there are annual veterinary checks the animals must undergo,” the spokesperson said, as a ‘balance between tradition and animal protection.’
AIM Sanctuary treasurer Tracy Duggan will be attending this protest because she believes that the Ayuntamiento de Mijas has been ignoring the AIM Sanctuary. may ‘talk the talk’ but they don’t ‘walk the walk.’
She said that they were very reactive, rather than proactive. “They are reacting to protests and thinking that it would be bad for tourism, so they’re putting these ideas into place.”
She says at last year´s protests against the donkey taxis, the owners were aggressive towards the protestors.
Duggan stated, “I can understand their feelings of threat, as this is their livelihood. However, if they took better care of their donkeys things wouldn’t have reached such a level of protest.”
They seem to show no respect for donkeys.
Duggan wants to completely phase out the donkey taxis. The petition has been circulated, and organizers hope that if enough people sign, Mijas’ town council will no longer see the need for the taxis.
“The townhall could set up an animal sanctuary, and tourists would visit the donkeys. Money could be made by selling merchandise instead of taking advantage of them,” she said.
The demonstration will be held at Mirador Hermanos Nunez Andreu Mijas on 25 May at 11am. It is organised by the local animal shelter AIM Sanctuary.
“The next time you visit Mijas, pray to Virgin Mary in one of its churches that the Spanish authorities put an end to this barbaric abuse of these defenseless, loving animals,” Wisniewski said.
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