BRITS have called out a Spanish town to stop using “emaciated-looking” donkeys for tourist rides after photos show them “standing in their own urine” with out water.
Clare Meaning travelled to La Cala de Mijas in the Costa del Sol with her husband and five-year-old, but left the hillside town feeling upset by what they saw.
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The 48-year-old alerted Born Free charity, whilst PETA have been lobbying the Mijas mayor Ana Carmen Mata to end the donkey rides in the area.
A number of experts have also joined the fight to stop the rides after a number of reviews slammed the town and called for change.
The donkeys – and a number of horses – line the centre of the town, waiting for tourists to book a cart ride which the animals then pull along.
However, Clare commented that the animals were made to stand in 31C heat for hours on end, often without access to water between rides.
Clare – who monitored the situation throughout the day she was in the town – saw that some of the donkeys were even frothing at their mouth.
Others were falling down a hill due to fatigue and some were standing in their own urine unable to move.
A manager in the hotel Clare was staying at, told her that the donkeys are made to carry out the rides seven days a week.
Clare, a nutritionist from Blandford Forum, Dorset, said: “The donkeys looked emaciated.
“I’m very animal welfare-minded and this was a completely unnecessary exploitation of animals and there’s no need for it.
“They weren’t even getting water when waiting for a ride.
“Reasonably frequently they were taken out for rides.
“We saw one frothing at the mouth and I think the guys that ride them are quite forceful.”
She added that she believes there is a way in which this practice can be monitored and done in a safe way.
However, she also noted that the animals are currently being “used like machines”.
Clare continued: “I can only guess that this started as a traditional method but over years has been exploited for tourists and the animals are now being used like machines for gain.
“It can be done in a way if it’s monitored, they do less hours and are well looked after, perhaps.
“It’s really stuck with me and it’s very upsetting to see.”
Meanwhile, other shocked tourists have taken to Tripadvisor to share their thoughts.
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One visitor said: “Mijas is a place with unique beauty, but donkey-taxi is its bad part fixed.
“I’m sick of going on trips and crossing paths with exploitation of innocents like this, animals spend endless hours in the sun, tied with short ropes without food or water working 365 days a year. Miserable.”
Another stated: “The town of Mijas Pueblo is a beautiful gem in the mountains of southern Spain however a poor piece of it is the Burro Taxi, one look at these beautiful creatures tied up under a poor shelter with no food or water just made my mouth go dry.
“There was a lower area where some were tied in the shade but again no food and water available an these sweltering conditions and one donkey was very reluctant to leave the shade but was forced to.
“These conditions are not good for them, highly advise walking through the town to experience Mijas to the max and improve the welfare of the Donkeys ASAP!”
Local resident Lynda, who has lived in and around Mijas for the past 30 years, commented: “I’ve tried many times over the years to get them to change it.
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“Local government always say it’s terrible but they never stop anything.
“It’s a very pretty village and people all want pictures with the donkeys and the owners employ halfwits to get these donkey taxi fares.”
Lynda also explained how the donkeys work until midnight and then they are just put into lockups in the village.
The lockups are also outside so it is “stifling hot” and the ride operators “just stuff as many they can in there”.
“They’re given old stale mushed up bread so they don’t have to spend money on proper food,” Lynda said.
“Then in mornings they come out all filthy and their feet are cracked and broken from all the rides they do.”
Lynda also believes the practice won’t be outlawed due to it’s long-standing tradition.
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She added: “But these donkeys are going to die, they’re just slavery there to earn money and that is it.
“Over the years we’ve protested and protested and we finally managed to get a shelter for them to stand under and then we had to protest to get water.
“It’s barbaric. There’s no stables, there’s nowhere for them to go.”
Back in 2019, the town did ban tourists over 12.5 stone from taking donkey rides, however many think this is not enough.
Plus, last year, campaigners also called for donkey rides to be banned in a popular UK seaside town.
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