Call to stop "Brutal" donkey tradition

El Refugio del Burrito are asking people to sign a petition against the spanish tradition of riding a donkey through the village of Villanueva de la Vera on Shrove Tuesday. The donkey is forced along the streets while an increasingly drunken crowd shout, ring bells and fire guns into the air around the animal. Their website has more details

Hi Chris,

Sounds appaling to me! what is it with some of these spanish people, I even heard the other day that somewhere down south there is a 'fiesta' where the macho 'he-men'  actually try and punch a donkey/horse in the head to knock it out!

What is that all about!

What a disgrace to the human race for allowing this to go on and some call it entertainment, if only the animals could talk hey!  That surely should never be allowed, but hey this is spain...

Do animal rights groups operate here? if so sadly I havent seen much of it.