Campaign

The following statement has been produced by The Donkey Sanctuary in response to the press coverage surrounding donkey cruelty in Russia.

Statement

We are absolutely shocked and appalled to learn that a donkey was made to parasail over a beach resort in Russia last week as part of an advertising publicity stunt.

The donkey was strapped to the parasail and catapulted into the sky and would have been severely distressed, fearful and traumatised during the 30-minute flight. Donkeys are sensitive creatures and prone to suffer with a fatal condition called hyperlipaemia (a stress-related illness); we therefore have serious concerns over the present health of this donkey.

In the blistering heat of a Greek Summer thousands of tourists unload from a massive Cruise ship and are ferried ashore to the small port of Fira in Santorini. The options of getting to the small town high above are either by cable car or Donkey Taxi, because the cable car is quickly flooded by the tourists a queue quickly builds for the donkeys. Over 200 of them have been tied the hot sun for hours waiting for the first of the tourists to arrive. There is a shelter and water available a little way up the steps the owners choose not rest the animals there as it is not so convenient, instead they take up most of the last fifty meters of steps to the loading area. Any tourist wanting to walk up the steps must first try and pass the large mules and donkeys who do not have enough room to stand properly and are wearing heavy equipment.

Using sticks and shouts the owners berate the animals if they do not react quickly enough to them which all ads to the chaos.

The tourist mount the donkeys and start the exhausting journey to the top of the hundreds of steps. Any person is taken large or small and unfortunately because it is easier to load a large person on a small donkey the small donkey often has the biggest load.

Once unloaded the donkeys either carry down tourists wanting to return to the port or are hurried down again.

Today is "Corrida de Elecciones" day. Despite all our efforts and the promises of the President of Extremadura, a defenceless donkey is being dragged around the streets of Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres). One of our welfare officers is attending the ritual to collect evidence of this cruel treatment and to help the donkey if need be. At the moment, in spite of the insistent rain, the donkey is being prepared for the "Corrida de Elecciones" ritual.

Sign our petition. The Corrida de Elecciones day is coming soon.

On 16th February 2010, with the Local Council consent and permission from the Extremaduran Government, a helpless donkey will be dragged onto the streets of Villanueva to make him participate in a ritual that makes him suffer, where he is ill treated and he endures an unnatural and cruel treatment.

El Refugio del Burrito will prosecute those found guilty of an animal cruelty case in Torreorgaz and will make pressure so Animal Prtotection Laws are enforced in Extremadura. After the cruelty committed against a donkey in Torreorgaz, a town in Extremadura, Spain, the Spanish registered charity El Refugio del Burrito will legally prosecute the ones found guilty of such terrible act so they receive the rightful punishment. The charity will also make pressure so the Local Government of Extremadura enforces once and for all the existing Animal Protection Laws.

Each year we attend the Peropalo annual carnival where a poor and helpless donkey is dragged through the streets.

The carnival of Peropalo takes place in Villanueva de la Vera every Shrove Tuesday. In this festival a poor and helpless donkey is taken through the streets of the village to be ridden by the drunkest rider and to be subjected to degrading and cruel treatment for more than an hour.