The prohibition of owning and breeding individuals of certain animal species is nothing new in Spain or something the current Government invented. Since 2013, many of them have been included in the Spanish Catalog of Invasive Alien Species, which categorically prohibits the raccoon, parrot, budgerigar, Vietnamese boar, peninsular tortoise, hedgehog or furry, among other animals. However, the new Animal Welfare Act significantly expands the list. Pets forbidden at home and restrict what is allowed.
The new standard specifies a set of requirements for an animal to be considered a pet.. To do this, it must be included in the list of allowed species, which will be approved after the approval of the law. In general, these requirements are due to the fact that the species is easy to care for in terms of ecological, physiological and ethological needs, it has been scientifically proven that it can live in captivity, and it does not pose a risk to humans. depends on its aggression, venom or size, and if it escapes there is no risk of becoming an invasive species, colonizing habitats and causing environmental damage.
According to these criteria; The Animal Welfare Act requires the prohibition of keeping animals in the home such as::
-Mice
-Hamster
-guinea pigs
-Chinchillas
-rabbits
-turtles
– lovebirds
-Parrots
-love birds
-Snakes
-spiders
-iguanas
-Chameleons
-Geckos
-Birds native to other countries
Purpose: avoid invasive species
In the case of the rodents mentioned in the previous list, the reason for their ban is to protect the wild and native fauna of the natural environment: “They will not be included in the list of positive pets. Species whose invasive nature is certain or which, in the absence of escape and control, pose or may pose a serious risk to the conservation of biodiversity,” the law states.
This is for the same reason Rabbit with more than one and a half million specimens in Spain in 2020, causing serious damage to the environmentturned out to be a somewhat accepted pet among many people.
even turtlesVery popular in many households, they will also be banned, and this is because, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition, they are animals that contain a significant amount of pathogenic vectors, such as parasitic fungi, and are therefore infectious.
ban lovebirds According to the Ministry of Social Rights, “species of wild fauna not naturally found in Spain” have a reason to exist, excluding parrots, budgerigars and other non-native birds of the country.
The legal text has not yet established a list of permitted animals, which must be approved by the Government within a maximum of 48 months from the entry into force of the law.
Inequality of criteria in Europe
There does not seem to be a consensus in the European Union countries on what should be understood by the pet. for example Belgium, Rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, deer, guinea pigs or squirrels are allowed where the Animal Welfare Act has also just been passed.
Inside HollandWith a similar law in place since 2015, the list of permitted species has been reduced to 30, including wild boar, alpaca or buffalo, along with various rodent species, as well as rabbits and ferrets.
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Contact details of the environment department: [email protected]