MIJAS City Council has launched a brand new set of rules aimed toward defending the welfare of animals used within the city.
Donkey taxi and horse-drawn carriage companies have turn into an iconic however controversial website in Mijas, and the modifications are available response to rising public concern and reviews of donkeys collapsing beneath excessive warmth.
The up to date decree, signed by Mayor Ana Mata, consolidates a number of measures launched over current months and comes into impact simply forward of the excessive summer season season, when hovering temperatures and elevated vacationer demand historically spark renewed criticism from animal welfare teams.
Final summer season, a number of donkeys had been reported to have collapsed as a result of warmth exhaustion, prompting requires tighter regulation and higher enforcement.
Beneath the brand new guidelines, companies have to be halted between 2.00pm and 6.00pm when Spain’s meteorological company, Aemet, points a yellow warmth alert.
If an orange or crimson alert is issued, all donkey taxi and carriage companies have to be suspended solely till the warning is lifted.
The second major level of the decree targets hygiene and public cleanliness.
Service operators will now be held accountable for cleansing up animal waste not solely at designated stops, but in addition alongside the service routes.
Failure to conform will likely be categorized as a critical offence, with fines starting from €750 to €1,500.
One other measure aimed toward animal welfare features a suggestion that any ropes used to tether the donkeys or horses – whether or not at relaxation stops or whereas working – should enable no less than 50 centimetres of slack.
The aim, officers say, is to make sure a ‘a minimal normal of freedom of motion and well-being for the animals.’
As temperatures start to rise and the city braces for one more busy summer season, the concentration is going to stay fastened on whether or not these new protections are enforced – and whether or not they’re sufficient.
