Travel without animal cruelty - your choice makes a difference

Travel Without Animal Cruelty – Your Choice Makes a Difference

Dear Traveler,

Traveling is a wonderful way to explore the world, but did you know that many tourist attractions hide a tragic reality?

During vacations, we often see horses, donkeys, camels, and mules carrying tourists. What we may not realize is that many of these animals are exploited, mistreated, and underfed. They are forced to work until they collapse, given insufficient food and water, and when they are exhausted, they are simply replaced or abandoned.

A Reality That Cannot Be Ignored

Laura, the founder of Stichting Paard in Nood Spanje, has witnessed these heartbreaking situations firsthand and captured them in a short documentary. The footage speaks for itself – and leaves no one unmoved.

What Can You Do?

Your choices as a tourist can make a huge difference. By avoiding attractions that exploit animals, you help stop these harmful practices. Instead, choose ethical alternatives, such as:

✅ Walking tours with local guides
✅ Cycling tours through cities and nature
✅ Boat excursions that do not involve animal exploitation
✅ Visits to accredited animal sanctuaries instead of commercial animal shows
✅ Sign the petition to support a ban on the exploitation of animals in tourism

Cities Taking Responsibility

More and more cities are stepping up to ban horse-drawn carriages and other forms of animal exploitation in tourism:

🇧🇪 Ghent, Belgium – No tourist horse carriages in the city center since 2020.
🇧🇪 Brussels, Belgium – From 2024, horse-drawn carriages will be replaced by electric alternatives.
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Horse carriages are banned due to animal welfare concerns and traffic safety.
🇳🇱 The Hague, Netherlands – No tourist horse-drawn carriages allowed.
🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain – Horse-drawn carriages are banned in the city.
🇪🇸 Palma de Mallorca, Spain – Ban on horse carriages from 2024.
🇪🇸 Málaga, Spain – The city is working on banning tourist horse carriages.
🇬🇧 London, England – No commercial horse-drawn carriages allowed in the city.
🇫🇷 Paris, France – Tourist horse-drawn carriages are not permitted.
🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada – Ban on horse-drawn carriages since 2022.
🇨🇳 Beijing, China – No horse-drawn carriages allowed in the city center.
🇹🇷 Princes' Islands, Turkey – Ban on horse carriages, replaced by electric vehicles.
🇮🇹 Rome, Italy – Restrictions on horse-drawn carriages; only allowed in parks and limited tourist areas.

More and more cities are transitioning to animal-friendly alternatives, such as electric carriages or other sustainable transport solutions.

Watch the Documentary and Discover the Truth

We invite you to see for yourself what happens behind the scenes. By choosing ethical tourism, you can help reduce unnecessary animal suffering.

Together, we can change the way we travel – and give animals a better future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=O3onxo1VPpvP8fkk&v=x-QFSQn9cGw&feature=youtu.be

Best regards,
The Animal Friendly Travel Team
Stichting Paard in Nood Spanje
animalfriendlytravel@paardinnoodspanje.nl