Source:  News Release

Shotguns and surging crowds for the Shrove Tuesday donkey

This morning a donkey has once again endured cruelty at the hands of drunken crowds at a traditional Spanish festival, international animal welfare charity The Donkey Sanctuary has witnessed.

On Shrove Tuesday every year the village of Villanueva de la Vera hosts the carnival of Peropalo, where it is traditional for a donkey to be pulled through the very narrow cobbled streets of the village, ridden by an intoxicated rider and surrounded by a large crowd, some of whom fire shotguns. It is an extremely frightening experience for the animal, and one which The Donkey Sanctuary has been campaigning against for 25 years.

A representative of the charity attended the event this morning and has sent this report:

“Despite our repeated efforts to encourage otherwise, I am saddened to report that a donkey has once again been used in the festival of Peropalo.  The dark brown, medium sized Spanish donkey was forced through the village streets by surging crowds of hundreds of people who were firing shotguns, ringing cowbells and chanting close to the donkey.  The donkey itself was visibly covered in sweat and was clearly terrified.  The rider this year was so intoxicated that he needed to be held up by the crowds to stay on the donkey, and the donkey was subjected to having wine and beer poured over it as it was forced along the procession route. 

“About 12 minutes in to the procession, the donkey fell, and it took around four minutes before those surrounding it struggled to get it to its feet again.  At the end of the festival, which lasted around 40 minutes, the donkey was ushered straight off into a locked shed so it was not possible to see what state it was in. I can only describe what I saw as the worst day of a donkey’s life ever – horrendous.”

The evidence gathered by The Donkey Sanctuary will be presented to the Spanish authorities in a continued effort to put an end to this cruel tradition.                                                                                                                                 

The Donkey Sanctuary was first made aware of the festival in 1986, when it was rumoured that the donkey used that year had eventually been crushed to death by the crowd following a two-hour ordeal where it was tormented and beaten as it was dragged through the streets.

Over the past 25 years, the charity has campaigned to bring an end to this practice, which is outlawed by the region’s own animal welfare laws.  Whilst some progress has been made with regard to the overall welfare of the donkey, the charity will continue to campaign for any action which protects donkeys and mules and promotes their welfare worldwide. 

To find out more about the work of The Donkey Sanctuary, and the charity’s sanctuary in Spain, El Refugio del Burrito, please visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk.

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