For Our Animal Friends

prestotours | 03 June, 2010 13:58

I thought I'd dedicate this blog to all the non-human creatures of Italy.  When it comes to animal abuse and animal rights here there are actually quite a few forward-thinking laws and organizations.  But there's still plenty that you as tourists can do to help!  Every bit of action helps.  So here's some information, links, tips for vegetarians/vegans, and ways to avoid supporting anyone that is directly involved in animal mistreatment.

 Horse Drawn Carriages:  you'll see horses pulling heavy carriages throughout the city center.  For one, these drivers will rip you off majorly.  They'll charge you something like 300 euros for a 30 minute ride.  But more importantly they abuse these horses severely.  There's a law (though rarely enforced) that horses are to rest and not work between the hours of 1pm and 4pm.  But according to drivers, "rest" means standing out in the hot sun or in the cold, carriage still attached...you'll see them especially all lined up in front of the colosseum.  Many of them have moderate to severe respiratory problems due to a combo of working sometimes 9 hours a day in brutal weather (hot and humid or wet and cold) and then going back to a stuffy stable.  And as for "retirement", since horse meat is a delicacy here in some other European countries, i need not draw you a picture.  Furthermore, surely you've heard something of crazy Italian traffic, especially in Rome.  It's dangerous for both motorists and the horses to have them amidst such chaotic traffic.  Currently there's some progress on banning these carriages, meaning that they'll be out of the city center and in parks such as Villa Borghese instead.  It's a step in the right direction!  for more info, visit the Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages.

 Ponies in the Parks: see above, it's basically the same as the horses and carriages, only they won't charge as much for a ride.


Homeless and their Dogs: there's a number of homeless folks that have dogs and/or puppies with them.  Much like the gypsies use babies to try and get sympathy-money from you, they will drug these dogs to make them seem listless, sad, starving, etc.  This isn't a trick unique to Italy, as I've seen lots of the same thing in Portland, Oregon and San Francisco.  And when that cute little pup grows up (if it does)?  They get rid of them and find another.  

Circuses: this should come as little surprise seeing as circuses=animal hell virtually everywhere.  These animals are kept locked up in tiny cages, forced and abused into doing spectacles, punished when they don't obey, forced to travel often and long hours, etc.  There is nothing good to say about any circus, and any member of the circus would be lying if they said they'd be willing to trade places with any of their non-human co-workers.  The circuses in Italy tend to be pretty far from the city center, so they should be easy to avoid.

Restaurants for Veggies and Vegans: in general a typical restaurant will have vegetarian options.  But some good veggie/vegan friendly places are: 
Taverna Vegetariana L'insalatiera, Via Trionfale 94 Roma (a 15 minutes walk from Vatican),

  • IL Margutta Vegetariano, Via Margutta 118 (near Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo, and Spanish Steps)   
  • Arancia Blu, Via Prenestina 396   
  • Bibliothe, Via Celsa 4, Roma (00186) (near Piazza del Gesu and Pantheon)
  • Upter House Arcana , Via Degli Equi 39 (San Lorenzo)   
  • Jaya Sai Ma, Via Bargoni 11 (Trastevere)

 

At the Supermarket: at most supermarkets you'll find sections that are all organic foods and also alternative foods (like gluten-free pasta, for example).  And also in the frozen or refrigerated areas you'll find sections of alternatives such as meat-less burgers and tofu.  If you can't find what you're looking for take a stroll around, as these things are all put together in their own aisle (ie: you won't find organic orange juice with the other juices, and you won't find rice-flour pasta always with the other pastas, but instead all together somewhere else).  There's also little shops all around, that offer only organic foods and products. 

For other info, and links, look at the Lega Italiana dei Diritti dell'Animale, literally the Italian league for Animal rights.  it's  more or less the Italian equivalent to PETA. 

 

*Aubrie Talarico*

 

 

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