Installing Indoor Cat Tree

[chelsea]

was very shocked to see on the news last night bullfighting in Spain (which is bad enough)

 

Was HORRIFIED to see them have a blindfolded donkey in the middle of the arena, the bullfighters were taunting the bull(s) in the ring and making the bull attack the poor donkey

 

I cannot believe in 2006 and being part of the EU that Spain can get away with this sort of treatment of animals.

 

I dont want to be palmed off with excuses its "tradition" "customs" blah blah blah.....

 

I couldnt stop thinking about the poor donkey all day today at work

 

Dont know what happened to him

[Martin B]

The poor thing was probably put down after the fight just like the bull.

[Guest]

This is the place to go, Chels...

 

(warning: some very disturbing scenes here - it is the main campaigning organisation for such animal cruelty across Europe)

 

chickens are strung upside down so that people can ride past on a horse and try to decapitate them with a sword.. or they are buried to their necks and decapitated by blindfolded villagers

 

donkeys are thrown off towers

 

squirrels and pigeons are put in clay post and then stoned

 

bulls are set alight, darted, speared, castrated, drowned

 

you can join the campaign here: http://www.faace.co.uk/huntdogs.htm

 

Phil

[chelsea]

thanks for the link phil. I will study in full.

 

I already knew about the donkey's off towers "spectacle". unbelievable

 

I will definetly be adding my name to the protests - even if it just means an e mail of complaint to someone.

 

this sort of thing is truly SHOCKING to helpless, defenceless, gentle animals .

 

it really makes my blood boil !

[Guest]

go girl!

 

you've probably realized it by now - but I actually meant the link to be this:

 

http://www.faace.co.uk/bfiestas.htm

 

Phil

[pepe]

Same here Dan I had to switch the news when the donkey bit was on. I think the donkey sanctuary are on their case, as they were the ones highlighting the terrible goings on

[Looney]

Hi,

 

I didn't see this article on the news.

 

I spent a few months living in Spain and was surprised at just how popular bull fighting is. The bullfighters have HUGE celebrity status equal to film stars and pop stars. I personally never went to see a fight but people I know did.

 

A few things struck me about how the "fight" is run. A Spanish person filled me in on the details.

 

Firstly I believe that the tendons in the bulls neck are cut. Then men on horses (Picadors) with lances come out and wear the bull out and keep stabbing it. Finally the Matador (which translates as killing/killer I think) comes out. By this time the bull is usually on its last legs so the Matador really isn't as brave and great by going out into the arena as we are led to believe. The bull does not stand a chance.

 

It is a massive money earner in Spain and people say the feeling of being in the crowd is far superior to going to a football match. I can't disagree as I've never been. However, I don't want find out, definitely not something I want to be part of.

[Lesley-Jean]

I'm just studying the Colosseum as a topic in my OU Humanities course. This type of animal cruelty "hunt" was a big part of the "games" in ancient Rome. It was staged in honour dead "Ooops, word censored!"ility and dispayed the great wealth of the person staging the games. The animals had to be captured in the wild and transported many miles to Rome at great expense. It was also considered a service to humanity to rid the world of dangerous animals. Hence no lions left in Northern Africa, not even after their diet of Christians Phil

 

Life and death were viewed very differently then, but I don't know what the excuse is now

[Looney]

That's interesting Lesley-Jean, thanks.

 

Was it all a bit like the film Gladiator? In which case - if they are sticking to tradition - they should still have great big, muscle-bound blokes (a la Russell Crowe in Gladiator ) knocking seven-bells out of each other as well.

[Lesley-Jean]

That's interesting Lesley-Jean, thanks.

 

Was it all a bit like the film Gladiator? In which case - if they are sticking to tradition - they should still have great big, muscle-bound blokes (a la Russell Crowe in Gladiator ) knocking seven-bells out of each other as well.

That's right at the games the morning was taken up with the slaughter of animals, lunch time was for the execution of criminals which could include the reinactment of mythical scenes including the painful death, or worse, of the "subject" of the myth (ever wondered how the minotaur, half human half bull came into existance), and in the afternoon skilled gladiatorial combat.

 

Much more fun than going to a funeral

[Paola]

 

Am sooo shocked and upset with what goes on. How can this be allowed?

[Lesley-Jean]

Sadly many humans in the world are still treated far worse

[AnnieP]

Here's a lovely picture for you all to sum up all that is wonderful about donkeys....

 

 

 

 

 

 

My two come from the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth and they are putting pressure on to get this stopped.

 

They are a wonderful organisation, and worth any support you can offer.... There are links to them from my website. Just press the WWW button at the bottom of my post....

xxx

[Christian]

Hi Annie hows you?

 

You web site isnt working at the mo......or maybe its just me

 

Christian x x x

[AnnieP]

hmm.... seems to be ok:

try this:

http://www.fairfieldfarm.freeserve.co.uk

 

 

By the way folks... Christian is one of my donkeys' favourite people, because he brought them some lovely apples... he even chopped them up for them!

[Christian]

stop it i'm blushing!

 

C x x x

 

Its working now thanks c x x x x

[Lesley-Jean]

My great uncle, who lived in Warwick when I was little, had two donkeys. Is it my rosy eyes of reminiscence but I remember them as really intelligent animals (more than horses which I rode for years) and very friendly

[AnnieP]

They are LJ! The donkey is closely related to the Zebra. Far closer to zebras than to a horse in fact, and they really are not comparable in any way.

Donkeys, think, make decisions and stuck by them... hence the stubborn bit. But they are so enduring and unlike horses, do not need breaking to carry loads. Their thresholds of pain are unbelievable, hence why they have been treated so badly throughout history.

My two are beautiful, quiet gentle creatures who step around the chickens and patiently come when called. They love being near you and will just stand by you when you are out there. They even let next door's cat sit on their backs!

Truly wonderful animals.

[Lesley-Jean]

Oh... for a field of my own

[Laura007]

my boss went and took part in the pamploma bull run earlier this year. i think he was quite taken aback by the response he got when he told people what he was doing.

 

he did have one saving grace though. after the bull run, they all end up in the bullring and normally the participants stay and watch the bull fight after. he watched one, but couldnt watch anymore and left.

[Cate in NZ]

I find it absolutely incredible to believe that humans can continue to be so deliberately cruel to animals..... and indeed in some cultures to other humans . There may have been plausible excuses in previous civilisations, but in this day and age in supposedly developed countries. It sickens me to my soul

[chelsea]

hmm.... seems to be ok:

try this:

http://www.fairfieldfarm.freeserve.co.uk

 

 

By the way folks... Christian is one of my donkeys' favourite people, because he brought them some lovely apples... he even chopped them up for them!

 

your donkey's are beautiful. I never realised they lived so long!

Im only half an hour from Sidmouth...must pay the sanctuary a visit

[AnnieP]

Oh, you should go! Its an amazing place! So lovely, and you can go right in amongst them all and give out big hugs!

[Paola]

My sister lives in Torquay, so the next time we visit I will take the kids along to visit the donkeys

[pepe]

My mum and dad took my son to the donkey sanctuary when he was little, he came back with a lovely donkey poem, I'm not sure if we still have it. I always wanted a donkey after reading Ned the lonely donkey, I have'nt got the land, but I may see if they have a sponser scheme.