Tom Powell
MIJAS Town Hall has confirmed it will no longer allow horses or ponies to be used in fairground rides.
Mayor Angel Nozal has agreed to completely ban the so-called pony carousel featured in the Olive Press last issue.
It comes after a petition with 65,000 signatures was delivered to the town hall.
A spokesman for the mayor confirmed that the practice had already been banned in La Cala de Mijas and in the main town’s annual feria.
“Sadly we didn’t find out about the one in Las Lagunas local feria in time,” he said, adding: “It will definitely not happen next year.”
The petition was spearheaded by animal rights activist Michael Owens, 76, who was able to collect the signatures from around the world in rapid time.
The movement was started after residents were outraged to see one of the carousels at the La Cala feria, when they were meant to be outlawed in Spain.
Owens, who previously worked with Born Free Foundation, which opposes zoos and other animal cruelty, told the Olive Press he hasn’t heard anything from the mayor’s office directly, but he is overjoyed with the ban.
He said: “I’ve heard nothing, but the ban comes as excellent news.”
Witnessed one of these miserable, drab, sad “amusements” in Gaucin, during a Fiesta, just over a year ago. Hope they have also seen the light now.
Don’t they still do that bull thing in Mijas?
That’s about time for sure. We’ve not lived in Spain since 2005, and we saw it before that and were quite disgusted. Poor animals, may they now have a peaceful retirement.
What happens is, the ponies will be almost certainly be destroyed. A solution of sorts…
A lose-lose solution…….
Maybe some rescue charity could take some. I do hope so.
Dave: They do that bull thing all over Andalucia if you’re buying a house.
Christine: That won’t happen while donkey meat is worth something a kilo as cat food. This is Spain. In general, they don’t care about animals.
Let’s hope they were ok after Christine. Maybe try not sucking the life out of posters Stefanjo?
A lot of the Spanish youth around Granada we know having changing attitudes to animal cruelty in Spain. Especially bullfighting (Only 29 percent of Spanish people support bullfighting, according to recent polls).
Why the 24/7 fixation on glorifying in Spain’s problems on here, when you live in the uk with all ITS problems?
Just thank God there’s not a translated Spanish version of this website for locals to read. Cringe at the thought.
There were two of these carousels at the Torre Del Mar feria in July this year. Shame really when the rest of the fairground is spectacular at night and well worth a visit.
there is one in Tarifa
About time and lets hope the other towns ensure this ends.