Mijas donkey taxi the next step

THE video, which has brought the matter of the treatment of the donkeys to a head, was made by Mark Bajerski who is a ten-year resident of Mijas pueblo and runs the Healer of Hearts centre which helps people to meditate and to centre their lives.

He doesn’t want to be seen as a troublemaker by his neighbours but his convictions do mean that he feels very upset when he sees animals that don’t seem to be receiving decent treatment.

In a conversation with the Euro Weekly News, he made it clear that he fully understands that the Donkey taxis are bringing a living to the owners and drivers and that their very existence does help the economy of the village. Mark doesn’t want to deprive anyone of their livelihood but equally wants to see that the animals are happy.

To this end, he says that he is not a ‘protester’ but someone who is pro-peace in all of its forms.

He hopes to be able to obtain permission from the Local Police to arrange a Pro-Peace Donkey Walk through Mijas to the local town hall where he will hand in a petition signed by 7,000 people asking for a change in the way in which the donkeys are used.

What he suggests is not radical and is meant to be workable for the ‘taxi drovers’, which in the long run could make their lives easier and possibly increase their income as well.

There are four main areas where the donkeys could be helped; firstly, there should be a weight limit for passengers and ideally only children should actually ride on the animals whilst adults could be photographed for a fee with them but not on them.

Next, the donkeys should not be tied, nose to pillar, as they need some space to be donkeys and they should be kept in the shade with some straw on which they could lay when not ‘performing’ and of course they need to be kept clean.

Thirdly, whilst they have a bit of extra space, let them be petted and fed by children. They are not vicious animals and enjoy human company so would benefit from a positive atmosphere and the owners could make a profit from making them available and selling their food.

The final suggestion would be for a team of volunteers to be appointed as wardens to make sure that they are being looked after properly during the day and that at night their quarters are clean and reasonably spacious.

The first hurdle is to obtain permission for the Pro-Peace March but if anyone wants to join in, once a date is fixed, do keep an eye on Mark’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/Healer-of-Hearts-Centre