Throughout the national territory The Three Kings Parade are no longer magical events for family fun and what they leave us with are images of abuse and cruelty. Horses, oxen, camels, donkeys and various other animals are forced to participate in these parades, facing conditions that cause them suffering.
It is unacceptable that this type of practice is still allowed in equestrian sports throughout Spain in mid-2025. These facts alone constitute blatant animal cruelty.. But they also do not comply with Law 7/2023 on the Protection of Animal Rights and Welfare, which in Article 65 specifically prohibits: ‘the use of animals in situations that cause stress, exhaustion or unnecessary suffering.’
The cavalcades of kings
The national Animal Defense platform considers the use of animals in horse riding as ‘anachronistic’ and describes it as ‘anachronistic’ I regret the incidents of additional abuse that occurred there. On the one hand, the images from last Friday during the Royal Herald parade in Granada have gone viral, where in the middle of the parade and in front of hundreds of attendees, a page pinching one of the oxen in the face took part in the event, causing great outrage .
Another controversy occurred when a person was injured in the arm during the Three Kings parade held last Saturday in Arenas de San Pedro (Ávila), after some oxen participating in the parade went out of control. The platform denounces that The animals were frightened by the sound of fireworks and the crowd of peoplewho starts running down the main street generating moments of great tension.
From Defensa Animal they have also expressed their rejection of the inclusion of a hunting raft promoted by the Extremadura Hunting Federation in the Cáceres Parade, referring to the hunt as “a violent, polluting, ineffective activity and that the last thing that should be done is to encourage it in childhood«.
Another issue they have publicly exposed through the platform is the treatment they believe they have received. through the Cuatro program “En boca de todos” after being contacted to discuss the matter, and they point out the program’s “lack of impartiality.”
The animal rights group asks everyone Municipalities must stop using animals in paradesbecause it is inappropriate for an advanced and civilized society, in addition to providing veterinary reports on the suffering of animals.
“Some of the problems that these animals suffer from are the hostile environment, excessive light or noise, but we must be aware that this is a result of speciesism and using the animals as we wish, because in Any pleasure that comes at the expense of animals and any use of them will always involve suffering.. We regret that, instead of promoting sustainable and ethical habits, governments are committed to regression, and we are also concerned that we are normalizing harmful childhood attitudes that encourage abuse of power over others,” denounces Diego Nevado, head of communications of the platform for animal protection.
Incomplete animal protection law
«Children should be raised to have empathy and respect for others.; Watching other animals forced to participate in shows is the opposite of kindness, because the message is that other animals are at our service. They have no interest in parading or participating in parades; it does not give them the slightest advantage; On the contrary, they are in an environment that is hostile to them and that has nothing to do with their nature,” explains Rosa Más, a biologist who also represents the Animal Defense platform.
«It is insane to pretend that animals in processions, nativity scenes or parades will not suffer from situations ‘iincompatible with their well-being given the characteristics of their species‘ as stated in the Animal Discomfort Act, an absurd standard that distinguishes between animal species without the slightest biological accuracy. This arbitrariness has serious consequences, as we have seen in the deplorable spectacle that took place in Granada. None of this would happen if the rights of animals were respected and their real interests, which have nothing to do with human entertainment, were taken into account,” the biologist concludes.
Therefore, the platform warns that the problem is in use, although this also leads to cases of physical abuse every year.