Donkey overloaded with garbage bags in Santorini triggers outrage

A video posted on social media of a donkey struggling to carry heavy bags of garbage in Santorini, has gone viral and triggered outrage on the cruelty some donkeys and mules on the island are being subjected to.

The video was captured on a phone by a man who is heard saying “2018 in Santorini…this is what we have become…the poor donkeys.”

The footage shows the donkey struggling to walk through the narrow and cobbled streets of the island.

Santorini's Mayor, Giorgos Zouzos spoke to Greek television station ERT over the weekend, after the footage surfaced, saying that the donkey on the video was an “exception” and added that the Municipality has since submitted a request to the owner on "whether the animal was overloaded or just not capable of carrying the garbage to the specific area, and also if it was an older donkey.”

Reports also claim donkeys on the island are being used by locals to not only carry garbage but also heavy items such as furniture and other heavy material.