In Spain, as in many parts of the world, he maintains: "Most beef cattle are killed within a year and a half of birth; their diet is very forced, being designed to make them grow unnaturally fast; and they live in very cramped conditions." By contrast, Díaz Yubero contends that the fighting bulls enjoy a higher quality of life, since their breeders are "aiming to promote health, bravery and vitality so that a select number of the herd can show off their qualities in the bullring".
He believes even those who end up in the ring have a better deal, overall, than commercially raised animals. "For 15 minutes, they undeniably suffer the stress of combat; for the rest of the time they and the rest of their breed are able to enjoy all the pleasures and privileges possible for cattle, roaming in their natural environment among the acorn trees of the dehesa [pasture], and eating their preferred foods."
While animal suffering is, of course, impossible to quantify, Díaz Yubero argues: "The stress that normal beef cattle endure from the time they enter the transport truck to the time spent waiting to be killed at industrial abattoirs is at least comparable." The consensus among those I spoke to was that fighting bulls are transported and kept in far better conditions than industrially farmed animals at a slaughterhouse.