Pacma denounces Mijas town hall and donkey taxi owners for alleged mistreatment of animals

The level of confrontation over the donkey taxis in Mijas this summer is rising. Spain's national animal rights party Pacma has announced that it has lodged a formal complaint with the Guardia Civil via the party's vice-president, Cristina García, against all the people and institutions involved in one way or another in the running of the donkey taxi service. These include Mijas town hall, the licence holders, the owners of the animals, the muleteers and "all those persons, organisations, institutions or administrations that could be responsible for the situation of these animals in Mijas."

The party claims to be aware of "multiple chronic breaches" of current animal welfare regulations. To begin with, they denounce that the donkey-taxi service operates every day of the year, from 8.30am to 9.30pm, "which means that the donkeys are subjected to long working days without rest." It further claims that, while awaiting customers, the donkeys are tied to metal structures with ropes that are "too short" and that this "severely limits their mobility, contravening their physiological and ethological [their natural, behavioural] needs". Such were the words of complaint from Pacma's vice-president.

The official complaint goes on to state that the animals lack adequate access to food and water, and "not all facilities have a roof to protect them from inclement weather", so that "this exposure to adverse conditions, such as low temperatures in winter and extreme heat in summer, represents a serious risk to their health."

In addition to this, according to Pacma's complaint, the space where the donkeys rest is "extremely cramped". The party states that they have documented "up to eight animals crammed into a mere 7x2 metres, when the ideal would be to provide a minimum of 4.5 square metres per donkey." The political party added: "These stables lack a proper excrement management system, forcing the donkeys to remain in an unhealthy environment, full of urine and faeces, which causes hoof injuries, as their hooves are kept constantly damp."

Pacma also pointed out that "evidence of the physical deterioration of the donkeys has been documented, with visible injuries and diseases reported by veterinarians." Furthermore, "Pacma has compiled audiovisual material showing stereotypical behaviours, such as repeatedly banging their heads against the metal structures to which they are tied. These behaviours are a clear sign of the suffering and stress endured by the animals, which are not given the opportunity to lie down or rest properly."

For all these reasons, the party has called on the Guardia Civil to adopt "provisional measures to put an end to this situation of risk for both the animals and the people who may use this service." For Pacma, "it is imperative to proceed to the precautionary suspension of the licences and permissions, as well as the preventive removal into temporary custody of the donkeys and the closure of the facilities where they are located." The organisation also requests the initiation of proceedings to sanction Mijas town hall.

Mijas town hall responded to these accusations by stating that Pacma "is making a totally partisan use of the situation, promoting the dissemination of inaccurate information and encouraging hoaxes, unsubstantiated allegations and absolute lack of respect, as well as bullying tactics."

It also defended its work on animal welfare and their "rigorous compliance with all relevant regulations, guaranteeing equity between legislation and idiosyncrasy."

They gave assurances that they are not aware of the complaint having been officially submitted but that, once it is received "we will consult with the legal services and adopt the necessary measures to defend, not only how this [service] is managed, but also the good name of Mijas."

Finally, they pointed out that, since the current municipal government came to power, there have been "many improvements introduced" including the extension of the shaded areas, an increase in the number of drinking troughs, the creation of a rest area for these animals and the extension of the length of the rope used to tie them up. Most importantly, the council mentioned its recent publication of a municipal bye-law that establishes limitations to the donkey taxi service when yellow and amber weather alerts are in place, "a law unique in the province of Malaga and never before issued in Mijas."