Santorini has decided to protect donkeys from the thick of tourists
On the popular Greek island of overweight tourists from the cruise ships like to hire animals to lift on steep hills.
The authorities of the Greek island of Santorini (also known as Thira) decided to protect the donkeys from excessive loads that they are subjected to every day tourists.
A limit duration of the working day donkeys and improved their working conditions.
In addition, in order to breed a new, hardier breed of beasts of burden, the natives started to cross donkeys with mules (which are also the fruit of the mating of Asses with mares).
On the popular tourist island is a frequent stop for cruise liners and their passengers are often very stout — like to hire donkeys to climb the steep hills of the island.
Appeared in saszetek pictures of animal cruelty has caused indignation among many users. Also displeasure was the fact that the donkeys have to carry tourists along the steep cobbled roads in the intense heat.
Due to the hard work and long hours of work donkeys appear wounds, rubbed the harness. Christina Kaloudi, who moved to Santorini from Athens and founded there a charitable organization for the protection of animals, said that in 10 years the number of obese tourists from Britain, USA and Russia increased threefold.
“Donkeys are exploited almost year-round. They have to work in terrible conditions, they do not provide water in sufficient quantity, they do not put in shade under the canopy and they are not allowed to relax. I often see them near our animal shelter — they can hardly breathe from exhaustion”, she said in an interview with the Metro newspaper.
In the result of a campaign started by animal advocates, the decision was made to require owners not to use donkeys to be ridden by people for longer than the specified number of hours to keep them in the shade during rest and give them enough food and water.
Donkeys can also be confiscated, if the owners are with them to abuse.