Animal protection has shown a positive development in Spain in recent years. The current level of awareness has nothing to do with what society had a while ago. In this context, I will never forget what happened, for example, when I went to testify in the case of a boy who burned his dog alive 20 years ago, and this was the first harassment case to be prosecuted in practice. Spain. Before entering the room, someone asked why there were so many media outlets at the door, and when I said, “And all this was caused by a dog!”
No one pays attention to this today, because things have changed since then. One of the most notable issues is the increase in the adoption of abandoned animals. Greater awareness and the use of social networks to encourage them have been key to achieving this. The internet is full of people feeding, posting and sharing pictures of animals looking for new families. On the other hand, most stores and large establishments that sell animals have joined this adoption effort, and what many do is also offer abandoned animals in their stores and replace old purchases with adoptions.
Despite the above, the harassment did not stop. From time to time, news comes out and there is a harassment case that shocks us all. This doesn’t mean we’re not better, it just means we still have a long way to go. To keep moving forward, it is necessary to generate legal improvements in this matter that come from consensus and knowledge, not ideology.
Animals are a common property, sensitive beings that must be protected and therefore legally conceived. If this is not done, all the laws that have been announced for years and that are likely to be approved in the future will be dead.