Escuche esta historia
--:--
4:53
In Spain new measures will be implemented on the care of your pets
A law will be established in favor of animals, it will come into effect from 2022
Early 2022
For the first time in history, Spain will have a law in favor of animals.
This is how the Ministry of Social Rights, currently led by Ione Bellarra, has presented on October 6 a draft that covers the Law for the Protection of Animal Rights.
This draft will mean a framework for regional legislation, likewise, some requirements will be used for wild, domestic animals or feline colonies.
In the same way, with this we want to put an end to sports such as pigeon shooting and cockfighting, any type of spectacle with wild animals such as tigers or lions will also be prohibited.
The draft proposes that pet owners take a training course before becoming the owner of a dog or cat for the first time, considering that many people do not treat their pets properly.
It would also be forbidden to leave them alone for more than 24 hours, considering that this could cause depression in them.
The goal is to preserve animal welfare
Minister Belarra has stated during her presentation of this regulation that the purpose of the draft is "Establish the obligation to preserve animal welfare." The arrival of this Law if it is approved would be for the beginning of the following year.
All this has been proposed in order to reduce the abandonment of domestic animals.
That is why one of the most important measures is to prohibit leaving them unsupervised for more than three days, regardless of whether it is a dog, cat or any other animal that is kept as a pet.
However, the main emphasis of the minister is to ensure that the dogs do not last alone more than 24 hours.
Something that could be mandatory to have a pet would be the preparation course which will certify a correct and appropriate possession of the animal.
If this draft ends up being approved, then it will be totally forbidden to have animals in basements, roofs, balconies, terraces or places similar to these, in order to protect their safety.
In the event that the pet is lost then you must notify the authorities within 48 hours, otherwise, you may face abandonment charges with fines that can range from 100,000 euros.
The minister has expressed that it is the government's obligation to protect animals, so a law has been presented that protects them from abandonment and sacrifice.
Ban on the sale of animals
This law would not only be staying there, but it also mentions the prohibition of the sale of animals in stores, as well as the exhibition of them.
The only animals that can be kept in these stores will be fish, while all the rest can only be purchased through animal protection institutions or professional breeders.
For dogs considered dangerous, it will no longer apply to the Rottweiler and Pit Bull breeds, two breeds classified in much of the world as dangerous dogs.
A sociability study will also be valued that allows to analyze the character of the dog, this will help to determine if they are of special handling or not.
If it were a special handling, then this would imply some obligations regarding the spaces or places in which they can be had.
Avoiding animal sacrifices is the main objective
Sergio García Torres, Director of Animal Rights, has said that with this new law he wants to bring the level of slaughter to zero.
Therefore, it is sought to avoid that those animals that are abandoned are killed, so several tools will be proposed to avoid having to kill them as has been done in many cases.
The only way that this law allows the sacrifice of animals will be under justified euthanasia issues, as long as there is a report from the veterinarian and that the case really requires it.
While any other sacrifice, be it for old age, for overpopulation, for paralysis, for economic reasons, will be totally prohibited.
Likewise, the report mentions that citizen collaboration will be needed for everything to work. In the event that a person is found to be in breach of this law, then they will receive severe penalties. If it is discovered that you have intentionally killed an animal or caused permanent sequelae, then you can be punished with fines of up to 600,000 euros or more.
Carry out an animal search
Another of the purposes of the draft presented this October 6, is to identify all pets through a registry.
According to Ministry studies, it is estimated that 50% of companion animals are not registered in the official control.
Therefore, it is considered necessary that all appear in the State System of Records for Animal Protection.
There, reference is also made to sterilization, this in order to avoid the uncontrolled reproduction of animals or the sale of animals, taking into account that many people raise their cats or dogs with the aim of selling the offspring and obtain financial gain from them.
That is why both dogs and cats with access to the outside of the homes must be sterilized on a mandatory basis.
If within a home there are different pets of the same breed or different breeds, then all members of the same sex must be sterilized. This rule excludes animal breeders.
