Fiaker Salzburg: Animal rights activists demonstrate in front of Mirabell Palace
“Horses lame”, “Horse hit in the face” and “Danger to life in narrow streets” are some of the observations of the association against animal factories (VGT) in Salzburg. The activists sharply criticize the behavior of the Fiaker drivers. A ban is required.
SALZBURG. At the end of the year, the current contracts with the cabs in Salzburg will expire. After dozens of documented alleged abuses during the summer, the VGT nun from Mayor Harald Preuner demands “no extension of animal cruelty”. The mayor’s office denies the allegations and sees the animal rights activists’ actions as a manhunt.
Should the tradition of the Fiacre in Salzburg be maintained?
“Documented grievances”
Over the summer of 2022, the activists of the association against animal factories want to have documented numerous situations in relation to the Salzburg Fiaker. As Alexandra Nobis explains to RegionalMedien in an interview, from her point of view these are both clear abuses and breaches of contract.
For example, in July 2022 alone, the VGT is said to have documented 73 cases in which the agreed rest periods for the horses were not agreed. Another control in September is said to have drawn a similar picture with 13 violations over a period of five days.
“According to the contract, the horses must have at least one rest day after a day at work. But that will not be an agreement. In the summer we documented that the horses were sometimes used for up to four days in a row,” Alexandra Nobis explains the situation.
Other cases documented by the VGT in the summer are According to Alexandra Nobis:
- A horse that has been tortured with chili paste.
- A fiacre who slapped his horse in the face, whipped it repeatedly, and yanked the reins.
- Harness that is too tight, making horses uncomfortable.
- Horses lame and animals slipping on the cobblestone.
- Dangerous situations in the narrow Sigmund-Haffner-Gasse.
- As well as not adhering to the prescribed routes.
The contract extension
Due to these, from their point of view, very clear grievances, the VGT is now demanding that Mayor Harald Preuner not extend the contracts with the cabs. These would then expire at the end of the year.
However, the office of Mayor Harald Preuner denies the allegations. The individual cases were looked at and the whole thing discussed with the responsible veterinarian. In the end, no major violations were found. The animals are doing well, according to Bernd Huber from the mayor’s office.
“What the VGT organizes here is a manhunt. Here, individual fiakers are pursued for hours and then questionable “violations” are documented. This approach endangers the livelihoods of some fiaker drivers and their families. We have checked the allegations. The case with the chili paste But basically the allegations of the VGT simply lack the substance.
Bernd Huber, Mayor’s Office
Green Citizen List
However, the VGT received political tailwind from the Green Party in the city of Salzburg. The Green municipal councilor Bernhard Carl has long been involved in the case of the Salzburg Fiaker. From his point of view, it is simply no longer up-to-date to move through the city center in horse-drawn carriages. Instead, they would like to help the Salzburg fiakers with retraining. Theoretically, a budget of 30,000 euros has already been secured for this.
The Salzburg Greens also advocated heat-free for horses from 30 degrees in 2020 (measurement at Residenzplatz). Although this regulation was decided by the municipal council, it is only voluntary and will (according to VGT) disregarded by the fiakers. The currently legally binding regulation of heat-free from 35 degrees (measurement in the outdoor hall) falls far short of both the Greens and the VGT.
“Nobody who knows anything about horses goes horseback riding in midsummer when it’s over 30 degrees in the scorching afternoon heat. That’s just way too hot for the animals,” says local councilor Bernhard Carl.
In any case, the bourgeois Greens will become active when the topic is discussed again in the municipal council due to the upcoming contract extension. This should probably be the case in November.
the petition
According to Alexandra Nobis, the VGT will continue to demonstrate every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. in front of Mirabell Palace in the coming weeks. In this matter, one sees oneself as a representative of the more than 22,000 people who have already signed the petition for a ban on horse-drawn carriages in Salzburg. The situation remains tense.
More on the subject:
VGT warns: Authorities in Salzburg are sleeping!
20,000 signatures collected for ban on horse-drawn carriages