Fondation Franz Weber | Rubbish-collection Horses

Rubbish-collection Horses

We must end it now!

The issue

You’ll come across them all over Latin America: horses, mules, donkeys and ponies pulling heavy loads, mainly rubbish carts, in urban areas. In Argentina alone, tens of thousands of these animals are forced to haul rickety, old waste collection carts.

They are seen as living towing machines, driven on until they draw their last breath, and treated like garbage once they have outlasted their use. These piteous animals and their owners, the carreros, are looked down on by society. Yet, they still perform an important social function, delivering materials such as scrap metal, wood, paper, cardboard and more to recycling companies.

As soon as the animals are no longer able to do "their work", they too are treated like waste.

“No more rubbish-collection horses!” is the slogan for our campaign against these abuses in Latin America - in Spanish: “Basta de TaS!”.

In many Latin American countries, horses, mules, donkeys and ponies are considered living machines to be used until their last breath.

Thanks to the FFW campaign “No more rubbish-collection horses!” thousands of suffering horses have been freed in numerous cities across Latin America.

The goal of "Basta de TaS!" is to replace the rubbish-collection horses with motorised vehicles and put an end to the abuse of these animals.

Throughout Latin America, horses, mules, donkeys and ponies are used to pull overloaded rubbish carts in urban areas.

In Argentina alone, tens of thousands of animals are forced to haul heavily loaded, rickety rubbish carts.

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Our project

“No more rubbish-collection horses!” is the slogan for our campaign against these abuses in Latin America. Or, short in Spanish: “Basta de TaS!”. Working under this banner, Fondation Franz Weber, together with the Argentinian animal welfare organisation LIBERA!, has launched a campaign to abolish the use of rubbish-collection horses in Argentina – and indeed throughout Latin America.

“Basta de TaS!” aims to replace these horses with motorised vehicles and put an end to the mistreatment they are forced to endure.

The freed horses are then housed in sanctuaries or put up for adoption. At the same time, dignity is restored to the rubbish collectors by acknowledging the importance of their work. Furthermore, the authorities equip them with modern, efficient tools, and train them up in aspects such as recycling and work safety.

Our goals

No more rubbish collection with horses
Free these horses and give them a new lease of life in sanctuaries or through adoption
Ensure that the authorities provide training and equipment for the rubbish collectors, with advice from Fondation Franz Weber