The bylaw will also cover the hours that horses work, which include the time to and from stables, and new regulations for inspection. Penalties will be introduced that go beyond just fines, though it is pointed out that inspections have increased this year and that report complaints have risen by more than 250% over the past year. These inspections have been made without prior warning or at the specific request of animal-rights groups.
Carriages will not be prohibited because it would cost the town hall too much compensation, but new licences will not be issued. This will promote the gradual replacement of carriages by electric vehicles.
Public consultation of the proposed new measures will last until 6 November. The public will be able to give their opinions via the website Tu Fas Palma.
Meanwhile, the barely disguised political fight involving AnimaNaturalis, the spokesperson for which is Guillermo Amengual, a former member of Més and now with the Esquerra Unida, and Palma town hall over horse carriages continues. The animal-rights organisation has gathered 5,000 signatures for its petition #Stop Galeras and will tomorrow start a campaign for the replacement of horse carriages by electric vehicles. The councillor for animal welfare, Neus Truyol, is a member of Més.
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So what about the horses being used in other Towns on the Island, do they come into this new bylaw or is it just in the Capital City of Palma?
They need be very careful with this legislation, I agree that the horses should not be worked as they are now , with too many hours , little shade and in the heat , but its a bit of a catch 22 situation . First off how to define a heatwave on a inland that has so much sun, they can collapse of exhaustion well below the temperatures of a defined heatwave, just by being overworked with greedy owners trying to pull in that extra euro . Second , the owners with the restrictions that are being talked about , will of course keep the majority of their earnings for themselves , and if earnings drop so does the amount of money and care spent on the horses and if a licence expires , then the horse becomes a fiscal liability , and do you really imagine for one moment the owners will continue to look after them , or just dispose of them . This is what the legislation and inspections fail to foresee, it needs to go further to protect the animals when enforcement or the withdrawal of licence has been instigated . This is when they should be checking on the subsequent welfare of the animal . I can see rescue shelters being busy , so they will need support , from us and the Government should help also.