Mijas town hall issues new regulation for protection of the donkeys in response to complaints

Since the start of the extreme temperatures, there have been numerous complaints circulating on social media about the state of the donkeys in the municipality, which have been forwarded to Mijas town hall. A video shared in the last few hours showing the fall of a donkey taxi while passing through one of the streets of the town, as well as the difficulty of the animal to get back on its feet, has been the straw that broke the camel's back.

"We are in 2024, not in the Middle Ages, something has to be done for the donkeys in Mijas." "The animals have been without food and water since the morning and the town hall does nothing about it. I have been living in Mijas for twenty years and it is about time they listened to us." These are some of the comments that can be read at the moment on the social networks. There are also users who claim that some of them collapse due to the high temperatures, without the workers doing anything about it.

The town hall is aware of all these complaints and recognises that in summer there is increased concern about the donkeys, especially "from non-resident foreigners", who are "unaware" of the situation, according to the councillor for Animal Welfare, Marco Cortés. He pointed out that the specific case of the donkey on the ground in the video was "an unfortunate incident, a slip in the street when they were going to the stables." He assured that the animals are checked every year and that their veterinary reports are in order.

He also said that in recent times the number of drinking troughs has increased and the ropes that hold them in place have been lengthened to give them more space. "A lot of things are said that are not true because of ignorance. Most donkeys don't go out more than once a day," he said.

Despite these considerations, however, the town hall has issued a new regulation this Tuesday, reducing the donkey taxi and horse-drawn carriage service in order to protect the health and wellbeing of both the drivers and the animals themselves.

Taking into account the laws that regulate this service, published in February 2012 in the BOP, and which states that the timetables may be modified, the law establishes that in orange or red warning situations issued by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) they should not provide the service at all.

When the notice is yellow, the service shall not operate between 2pm and 6pm.

"The situation we are going through with constant alerts for high temperatures made the existence of this regulation, on which the council has been working for some time, very necessary. Health must come first and what we are looking for with this new regulation is to guarantee the wellbeing of the wokers as well as the animals," said Cortés.

In addition, the bylaw includes a series of recommendations contained in the guide for good practice for horse-drawn carriages published by the Spanish Veterinary Association which, among other advice, compiles a series of good practices related to resting, equipment, stables and care of the animals.

This notice is already published on the municipal notice board and is therefore in force and will remain so until further notice.