Cruelty of 'running with the bulls' exposed

Watch the evidence here. 

London – The same bulls who slip and slide down Pamplona's cobbled streets will be stabbed to death in the town's bullring later that day. Tourists who take part in the Running of the Bulls in Spain are contributing to the carnage.

This is the sobering message in a new video created by Torture Is Not Culture, sponsored by Animal Guardians and supported by Europe's largest animal-protection groups, including World Animal Protection, PETA, Humane Society International, CAS International as well as by the International Anti-Bullfighting Network, which comprises 110 animal-protection organisations around the world. The video, available here, will be translated and distributed throughout Europe, North America and Asia as a means to put an end to the Running of the Bulls.

Dirk Verdonk, Head of Programmes of World Animal Protection Netherlands says:

“The abuse that the bulls face at Pamplona is barbaric. We urge everyone attending to help end this bloody spectacle and the cruel treatment to these animals.

“Bullfighting is cruel and outdated and has no place in a modern society; culture stops where cruelty starts.”

"Putting an end to animal torture in Spain is not only a matter for Spaniards", says Marta Esteban, President of Torture Is Not Culture. "The EU subsidises bullfighting with more than 150 million euros per year, and this, along with the curiosity of tourists from all around the world, allows this cruel spectacle to continue. Only 19 per cent of Spaniards actively support bullfighting, so it really is a dying industry."

As shown in the video, each bull used in a fight is repeatedly speared and stabbed before the matador attempts to sever the exhausted animal's spine with a dagger. Sometimes, the bull drowns in his own blood before the dagger comes into play. Other times, he's still alive as his broken, bleeding body is dragged out of the arena and left to await slaughter.

Bullfighting has been on the decline for years – attendance is decreasing, and bullrings are closing across countries that still permit bullfights. The industry survives only because of huge subsidies as well as tourists who unwittingly fuel the abusive events. A recent poll showed that 76 per cent of Spanish people have no interest in bullfights.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• For an interview with a spokesperson, contact: Kai Akram kaiakram@worldanimalprotection.org +44 7939 029 006