Cattle ‘will starve’ after Spain bars ship from docking

A BRITISH-RUN animal shelter in Spain has asked the government to come to the aid of 3,800 cattle on board a transport ship which is being denied leave to dock in Cartagena.

The animals on board the AK Julia have no food and will “die of hunger”, Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre said.

The young animals were due to stock up on fodder in Cartegena last night on their way from Brazil to Turkey.

But Sue Weeding of Easy Horse Care said the Talia shipping company contacted her after the vessel was prevented from entering the harbour because of a legal dispute between the firm and a fuel supplier.

Blázquez Maritime Agency, which operates Cartagena port, confirmed that the docking had been cancelled.

A spokesman for Talia yesterday said the firm was trying to “sort out this arrest issue” with the court.

Mrs Weeding said Talia told her that the cows ran out of fodder yesterday and that there were no alternatives for the supplies of pellets, ryegrass and sawdust arranged in Spain.