Town fined for slippery swine chase

A CENTRAL Spanish town has been fined for holding a slippery pig chase. 

In a new ruling by a local court, a town near Salamanca, El Sahúgo has been fined €1502 for the competition which took place in September last year. During the race children chase a pig covered in grease and the first child to catch the pig wins top prize and gets to take it home. 

After the competition several animal rights groups including the National Association for the Protection and Wellbeing of Animals (ANPBA) and Spanish animal rights party (Pacma), made criminal complaints against the event to the regional government of Castilla y León. 

The reports put forward by the animal charities insisted that using pigs and other animal was actually illegal in the region. The court later ruled that the chase was ‘degrading to animals’. 

A spokesperson from Pacma welcomed the ruling but described the ruling as not enough:

“Though it’s important that these festivities are sanctioned, we can’t be pleased, because this won’t put an end to animal abuse. 

“These kind of festivities perpetuate the abuse by teaching children that is right to treat an animal like that. The fine is quite insufficient.”

Pacma feel that they are a long way from stopping animal-based festivals and festivities in local towns. 

“Laws should be hardened and reinforced in order to completely prevent the celebration of these festivities,” the spokesperson said.