Spanish police are investigating animal abuse.
Spanish police are investigating animal abuse.
ALMONTE, Spain— — By William McGee
A donkey found tied up in a field and left without food or water died two days after its rescue by the Nature Protection Service (NPS), a unit of the Spanish Civil Guard.
The donkey was found in poor condition on a plot of land on the outskirts of Almonte, Spain, on Nov. 10. After its death, police said they are investigating it as an instance of animal abuse. There are various laws to protect animals from mistreatment in Spain.
The animal was discovered after the NPS received an anonymous tip about a donkey lying on the ground for days without food or water. The animal was determined to be an Andalusian donkey, a large breed with a height of about 5 feet and weighing up to 650 pounds.
Such animals are one of several donkey species considered endangered.
NPS officers spotted the animal in an unfenced plot, tied to the ground on its side in the sun. The animal had broken hooves and cachexia, a syndrome that causes muscle wasting and extreme weight loss.
After it was untied, the starved donkey had difficulty getting up and supporting itself.
Abandoning an animal in conditions that pose a danger to its health or life is illegal in Spain. Animal abuse has been a crime in the country since 2015, which can include imprisonment.
In addition, Valencia recently passed a new law that tripled the fines for animal abuse.
The investigation is ongoing.
(Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew Hall)
