Fighting breeds and athletes: how lobby groups frame animal-based entertainment in Spain

Abstract

Introduction: Despite growing moral concern over the use of animals in bullfighting, cockfighting, and horse and dog racing, these animal-based entertainment industries continue to exhibit significant resilience in Spain, driven largely by the strategic use of public relations. Aims/Objectives: To analyze the discourse disseminated by interest groups lobbying for the use of animals in these industries in Spain, with a focus on the representation of nonhuman animals, self-representation by the industries and representation of the public, to assess how these discursive practices affect the emergence of compassion. Methodology: A multimodal analysis from a Critical Animal Studies perspective. We examined a sample of texts, informative materials, videos and newspaper articles displayed and disseminated by four primary interest groups: Fundación Toro de Lidia (a foundation promoting and defending bullfighting culture in Spain), Asociación de Sociedades Organizadoras de Carreras de Caballos en España / Asociación de Hipódromos (the association of horse racing event organizers and racetracks in Spain), Federación Española de Galgos (the Spanish federation governing greyhound racing and breeding), and Unión de Criadores de Gallo Combatiente Español (the union of breeders of the Spanish fighting cock). Results: The main findings of this research highlight the interplay between spectacle, tradition, science and economic interest —mediated through the biologization and athleticization of animals— as well as the roles of Spanish nationalism, victimization narratives, and warlike framing. Discussion: The discourse incorporates fallacious reasoning alongside polarizing rhetoric, the instrumentalization of culture, science and tradition, and strategies of humane-washing and greenwashing. Conclusions: Compassion towards animals is reframed in ways that delegitimize the ethical concern expressed by citizens, while portraying the industries’ own activities as the true expression of care and responsibility.