Donkey rental at the Feria de La Manzanilla
Various organizations denounce, once again, the illegal donkey rental on Sanlúcar's beach during the 2009 Manzanilla Festival. This year, we have presented our denouncement at the Guardia Civil headquarters.
El Refugio del Burrito from Málaga, The Solúcar Animal's Friends Association, The Anti-bullfighting Party Against Animal Cruelty and Ecologists in Action, have presented a joint denounce at the Guardia Civil's headquarters against the use of donkeys on the beach for such an illegal activity as their rental for strolls along the beach.
It's been many years since both Seprona (Spanish equivalent of RSPCA) and the Local police have been urged to intervene so they can put an end to this activity carried out by people with no official permission or license, being a lucrative activity carried out knowingly during night hour, resulting in animal cruelty.
In many an occasion concerns from the public have been completely ignored, even when the cruelty and mistreatment have been denounced. Let´s not forget these donkeys are used to be ridden by people after they have been to the festival and are already showing the effects of alcohol. All of this being witnessed passively by the owners, as the animals are being walked for long distances, are beaten and insulted without any action from the owners.
We believe a serious offence is being committed against Animal protection Laws in Andalucía in article 3, where obligations of the owner of an animal are specified, as per this Law, regarding an animal for rent, that reads as follows:
Article 3 Obligations, point d) To care for and protect the animal from any aggressions, dangerous situations, discomfort or any other sort of disturbance any other animals or people may inflict. Also on Article 4, Prohibitions, point a) To mistreat or physically hurt the animals or cause them suffering or unjustified damage through any kind of activity.
As for Law 22/88 of 28th July 2009, Coastal Laws, this activity offends article 31, as well as Royal Decree of Legislation 339/1990, 2nd of March, Traffic Laws, Circulation and Road Security, as this group of donkeys are walked to the beach amongst the traffic crossing Quinto Centenario Avenue.
For everything that's been expressed above, these organisations had no choice but to present a claim against these activities, in the hope that this will be the valid method to stop once and for all this cruelty during the Manzanilla Festival in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.