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Palma.—The alleged cruelty to some of these animals in certain resorts has become an annual debate but yesterday the Bulletin was contacted by a tourist who has been coming to the island for the past ten years claiming that she will never return after having seen such “animal cruelty” during this visit.

The holiday maker, who wanted to remain anon ymous said that over the past decade she has never seen the horses being treated so badly and she specifically signalled out Calla Millor. “They have no shade, I saw one horse which could hardly put one foot in front of another but the driver just whipped the horse on.
Inspectors “I know in Palma an effort has been made by providing shady waiting spots but, I've seen some of these hours pulling large families, extremely heavy loads. “Is no one from the council out there everyday checking the welfare of the animals, the condition of their health, that they are being fed and watered probably? “Are their any controls of the weights of the loads they should be pulling? and the hours that they can work? it does not look that way to me. “I've never seen any form of inspection being carried out and this year, it's been the last straw. We're never coming back. “This is the 21st century, don't the authorities realise that most people in the Western world will not stand for animal cruelty but instead of getting better, the situation appears to be getting worse, it's a disgrace,” she told the Bulletin. “I think, if the local authorities are not prepared to properly ensure that the horses are looked after then they should ban the horse and carriages,” she concluded.

Health and safety A few years ago, an international campaign was mounted to force Palma City Council into taking action to improve the working conditions of the horses and new health and safety requirements were introduced for the carriages themselves.

But while the then Mayor of Palma, Catalina Cirer, did respond, it appears that the rest of the island took little notice and it could cost them dearly.