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ANIMAL RIGHTS

Animal abuse complaint after donkeys painted to look like zebras for safari themed party in southern Spain

Two donkeys were painted in black and white stripes to look like zebras in the African savannah apparently for a safari themed party at a beach in Cadiz, southwestern Spain.

Published: 17 July 2019 11:58 CEST
Animal abuse complaint after donkeys painted to look like zebras for safari themed party in southern Spain
The donkeys were painted to look like zebras. Photo:Angel Tomás Herrera Peláez

The animals were filmed outside a chiringuito in El Palmar near Vejer de la Frontera, a coastal town in the Cadiz province  by Angel Tomás Herrera Peláez who then reported it to animal rights campaigners, Plataforma Madre Tierra.

Local media reported that the animals had arrived at the beach bar on Saturday morning where they were painted and spent the day outside in the full glare of the sun, with no shade.

The website Andalucía Informaciónsaid that the animals were used “to provide the look of the African Savannah” for a wedding that took place there on Saturday.

A formal complaint of animal abuse was lodged to the local agricultural office Oficina Comarcal Agraria (OCA), of nearby Medina Sidonia, and the wildlife and animals specialist Guardia Civil unit, Seprona, who said they had opened an investigation on Monday.

READ ALSO:  Spain urged to stop 'torture' of unwanted greyhounds

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ANIMAL CRUELTY

‘Gratuitous cruelty’: Spain probes suspected abuse at animal testing lab

Spanish police and prosecutors said Monday they were investigating an animal testing lab after undercover footage showed staff there tossing around, smacking and taunting dogs, pigs and other animals.

Published: 12 April 2021 20:50 CEST
'Gratuitous cruelty': Spain probes suspected abuse at animal testing lab
Handout: Cruelty Free International

“We were dismayed to see the images,” the head of the government’s directorate-general for animal protection, Sergio Garcia Torres, told AFP.

“It is a blatant case of animal abuse.”

Footage published Thursday by Cruelty Free International shows appears to show animals at the Vivotecnia animal testing facility being cut into apparently without having received anaesthetics.

Staff were also filmed swinging dogs and rats around and in one clip someone is drawing a face on a monkey’s genitals as the animal is pinned to a table.

The group said the footage was taken by a whistleblower who worked at the facility, which is on the outskirts of Madrid, between 2018 and 2020.

“There can be no doubt that such gratuitous cruelty causes unnecessary distress and suffering,” the animal rights group said in a statement.

“It is also unlawful.”

Police and public prosecutors said Monday they had opened separate investigations into Vivotecnia, which carries out experiments on animals for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.

The company’s phone number was no longer working on Monday and its web site was down for maintenance.

In a statement cited by Spanish media, Vivotecnia chief executive Andres Konig said he was “shocked” at the images. But, he added, they did not “demonstrate the day-to-day reality at Vivotecnia”.

Following the outcry caused by the release of the footage, the Madrid regional government on Sunday temporarily halted activity at the animal testing facility.

Animal rights political party PACMA has filed a lawsuit against the managers of the company and urged the government to step up its supervision of animal testing.

“It’s a very opaque world and it could be that this is happening regularly without us knowing,” PACMA president Laura Duarte told AFP.

The Vivotecnia laboratory animals were examined by veterinarians and are being moved to other facilities.

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