Every year on the 16th of January, the Spanish village of San Bartolome de Pinares, Avila, Spain, carries out a barbaric custom of riding hundreds of horses, donkeys and mules through large bonfires in a day and night of hell for these pathetic animals. According to records, this horror spectacle has been allowed to continue for over 500 years. Despite complaints from numerous individuals and animal rights organizations to the police and Spanish authorities, nothing has been done to ban this barbaric ritual.
Although the organizers claim, that despite seeming danger to animals and riders, none have ever been hurt. This is strongly disputed by the Observatory for Justice and Defense for Animals, who says it has vet’s reports about treatment for serious burns and inhaling toxic fumes for those animals forced to ride through these fires. The authorities are forcing these animals to act in an unnatural way and make them ignore their instinct to flee fire.
Together we can ban this cruel and outdated tradition for once and for all. Please sign this petition and ask all your contacts to do likewise. We can not allow allow it to continue any more.
Thank you for caring.
