Eloise Horsfield
THOUSANDS of horses are being abandoned and slaughtered as Spain’s recession deepens.
An estimated 5,000 horses are being processed into food each month, as families can no longer afford their upkeep.
The figures reveal that slaughter has increased by 31% in the first quarter of 2012 compared to last year, with a staggering 19,793 horses killed.
Abandonment of horses has increased by 80% this year according to Dilfenio Rodriguez from the Burrolandia animal shelter.
“The number of horses we have to care for has increased dramatically with the crisis. People can’t afford to keep them and instead dispense with them,” Rodriguez said.
“We find them in terrible condition, often almost dead.
“They eat their own excrement and drink rainwater to survive.”
Government cuts on animal shelters mean that many organisations can no longer afford to save every abandoned horse from the knackers yard.
The meat is imported to countries which have a high demand for horse meat, including France and Russia.
I received notice of three fundraisers today for our local doggies club called ‘Paws’, and well done them for their efforts. Perhaps we could move on a bit, however, and start something to help Spain’s horses – ‘Hoofs’ for example?
And to think that Spain is described as a nation of horse lovers. Sadly, another myth.
Fred,
every year we had a horse fair in Guadix and I had to hold Angela back from attacking the brutal gypsy horse traders. They weilded a very long stick which had a large head and they were very free with using it on the horses.
One thug got very free with his insults against Angela – he got a good kicking from me – strangely none of the other gypsies fancied taking me on and looked the other way – was always thus with cowards.
Angela’s father was a brujo with horses and once saw a badly neglected horse (this was in Somerset), told the farmer his fortune if he did’nt give the horse to him.
It had been very badly treated and was unrideable but the brujo won Big Game round and he went on to win the Grand National.
The innocent always suffer, either humans or animals. Only those bastards who causes crisis celebrate and fill their pockets with more damn money.
If the recession is making it hard for humans to find jobs imagine how hard it is for a horse…