2023 marks a start new era for animals from Spainproject Animal Welfare Law This was finally approved for further processing in the plenary session of Congress. This flagship project seeks to guarantee the protection and well-being of animals, neglect and abuse. Although not without controversy, because the exclusion of hunting dogs puts livestock in a state of war.
Legal action was carried out in an emergency way, because it is considered an issue of great importance to society. Finally, the initiative continued with 174 votes in favor of PSOE, Unidas Podemos, ERC and Bildu, with 167 votes against and 7 abstentions from JxCAT, Compromis, BNG and Teruel Existe, who remained uncertain against 167. last moment In addition, the draft law Reform of the Penal Code animal abuse processed in parallel with the previous one.
The Veterinary College also opposed the law, arguing that the law was based on “abstract concepts.” does not mention veterinarians, whom they see as a contradiction. But these criticisms did not stop the progress of Animal Law.
The new animal law includes a number of measures to guarantee the protection of animals, including sanctions for violators of rules and control systems. ensure compliance with standards. Moreover will be established educational programs To raise awareness in society about the importance of treating animals with respect and care.
It should be noted that this law It focuses not only on the protection of pets, but also on farm, labor, zoo and aquarium animals.at the same time Animals used in demonstrations and research.
with everything, effective date not yet determined although some aspects are known. Some of the fundamental changes that the new Animal Protection Law will bring and the penalties for non-compliance have also fueled the debate. For example, from now on, killing a snake or rat that enters your home is punishable by up to 18 months in prison.
This is partly due to the fact that:The new Animal Protection Law brought an important change in the Penal Code by changing the name of “pet” to “vertebrate animal”.. A vertebrate animal is anyone with bones and an articulated skeleton or spine, so under the new law, Hitting and injuring or killing a vertebrate animal is punishable by imprisonment or a fine.
In addition, the new animal law Obligations for pet owners aiming to end abuse and abandonment of animals. One of them is mandatory have a civil liability insurance for third party damages and keep it in effect for the life of the dogThe amount must be sufficient to cover the possible costs of any event carried out by the animal. Something that until now was only mandatory for owners of dangerous breed dogs, a category that has disappeared under the new regulations.
Another innovation is that as soon as the animal law comes into force, pet stores may not display animals for commercial purposes in their display cases nor sell dogs, cats, and ferrets. These may only be marketed through professionals registered with the Official Pet Breeders Registry.