The fiesta of the Toro Jubilo takes places in Medinaceli, Soria, Spain every November. A bull has fire attached to its head and is released in the square to be taunted and abused by the villagers. It suffers terror and physical pain.
Every year on the weekend closest to November 13, a bizarre and nightmarish festival known as “Toro Jubilo” is held in Soria, Spain. During this horrible event, residents affix balls of flammable tar (or pitch) to the horns of terrified, restrained bulls. The bulls’ horns are then set alight, and the panicked animals—either tied to stakes in public squares or released to run madly through the streets—are left to burn in agony. For hours, the tar burns like a bonfire on the bulls’ heads, scorching their faces, eyes, and bodies. Many burning bulls reportedly crash into walls in agony and blind terror. Their carcasses are later divided among the participants for consumption—residents apparently believe that consuming the flesh of the tortured animals provides them with fertility and invincibility.
When: Second weekend of November.
This cruelty consists in putting a kind of ball of pitch on both the horns of the bulls and setting fire to the balls. The bulls are released on the streets. These balls burn for hours, burning the horns, body and eyes, causing terrible suffering. Several times the bulls try to kill themselves against walls, due to the horrible pain.
After hours of immense pain and eventually being blinded by the flames, the bull dies in agony. If this wasn’t cruel enough, the animal’s carcass is cut up and split among the participants to the event. Toro Jubilo is viewed as a form of entertainment by the people, but this kind of animalcruelty doen’t qualify as such.
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160450860716495 More emails + sample letter
Petitions:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/firebull—stop-the-burning-of-live-bulls/
http://www.change.org/petitions/bulls-on-fire-stop-spains-sadistic-ritual
http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=4590
https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3892
Please send letter to the emails listed below.
President of the Diputación Prov. Soria
C/ Caballeros, 17 Soria
SORIA 42071
Tel: +34 975 211089
Fax: +34 975 101091
presidencia@dipsoria.es
Turism of Soria
turismo@dipsoria.com
President de la Junta de Castilla y Leon
Plaza de Castilla y Leon,1
Spain
Fax + 34 983411269
Email: presidente.responde@jcyl.es
Turism of Castilla y León
sotur@jcyl.es
City Hall of Medinaceli
Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Medinaceli.
Plaza del Ayuntamiento, n 1.C.P: 42240
Medinaceli (Soria)
fax: + 34 975326053; email: info@medinaceli.es
Prime Minister of Spain
Presidente del Gobierno, D. Rodriguez Zapatero
Complejo de La Moncloa
28071 Madrid, Spain
email: jlrzapatero@presidencia.gob.es
Ministry of the Interior (the entity that governs bullfights in Spain)
Ministerio del Interior
Pº de la Castellana, 5
28071 Madrid, Spain
fax: + 34 915371177; email: estafeta@mir.es
Honorable Officials of Spain:
Animal cruelty is not acceptable as entertainment or tradition in the 21st Century. Yet the “Toro de Fuego” annually occurs in Medinaceli, Spain.
Setting fire to a live animal – known as “Toro de Fuego” or “bull on fire” - is cruel. The balls are ablaze for hours, and they scorch the bull’s horns, body and eyes. Some bulls try to end their agony by smashing into walls.
Heritage, entertainment, art and religion never justify outright torture. I urge the Spanish government to enforce stronger animal protection laws that shield animals from all forms of abuse, including vulgar rituals and blood fiestas.
Sincerely,
