A three-day rodeo scheduled for Petco Park in January is prompting complaints about animal cruelty from the county Democratic Party and animal rights advocates.

They are lobbying San Diego officials and the Padres to cancel the event, which would be the first rodeo ever at Petco and the first within the city since one at the sports arena in the 1980s.

If the event isn’t canceled, critics want the City Council to approve an ordinance banning the use of animal torture devices during rodeos.

The Padres said in a statement that the team has been assured by the group running the rodeo that they are experts in animal care and are focused on the welfare of the animals that will participate.

The central committee of the county Democratic Party unanimously approved a resolution last month condemning the event, requesting an animal torture ordinance and urging Mayor Todd Gloria to deny the event a permit.

“Cute, innocent, docile farm animals should not be subjected to cruel treatment and torture devices used at rodeos,” said Bryan Pease, a local Democrat who authored the resolution approved by the central committee.

“Stopping animal cruelty is a nonpartisan issue, but the mayor and city council of San Diego are all Democrats,” Pease said. “They depend on the endorsement of the San Diego County Democratic Party in running for any local office.”

The central committee includes three members of the U.S. Congress — Scott Peters, Juan Vargas and Sara Jacobs — and several members of the state Legislature — Sens. Toni Atkins and Catherine Blakespear and Assemblymembers David Alvarez, Chris Ward, Tasha Boerner and Brian Maienschein.

Other members are Secretary of State Shirley Weber and San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno.

Pease said the devices rodeos use to control animals — including electric prods, shocking devices, bucking straps, sharpened spurs, wire tiedowns and rowels — are torture devices.

David Engel, a board member of San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action, told the City Council recently that rodeos are barbaric.

“Rodeos are inherently cruel to the animals forced to participate,” he said. “The horses, bulls, steers and calves suffer broken ribs, backs and legs and torn tails, punctured lungs, internal organ damage, ripped tendons, torn ligaments and snapped necks.”

The Padres defended the group putting on the event at Petco, which is scheduled for Jan. 12, 13 and 14. The team’s website says C5 Rodeo Company participates in more than 40 rodeo events a year worldwide.

“We have been assured by the group that is hosting this event that the safety, security and well-being of the contestants and livestock of the San Diego Rodeo are of the utmost importance,” the Padres said. “They are event professionals who are experts in livestock handling and care, as well as pre-event, event and post-event care for the contestants.”

The team also notes on the Petco Park events website that while Petco hasn’t hosted a rodeo since it opened in 2004, annual rodeos are held in the San Diego County communities of Poway, Ramona and Lakeside.

The website says the total purse for the event will be $620,000 and that it’s expected to attract top cowboys, such as Stetson Wright and Rocker Steiner. Tickets went on sale Sept. 18.

Petco will be reconfigured for the event. The infield baseball diamond will become the arena, and the warm-up area will be in left field in front of the bullpen.

Pease, who is also an attorney, is organizing a petition drive against the Petco rodeo event at bryanpease.com. There were 105 signatures through Wednesday afternoon.