An owner of a puppy holds her pet with the blessed stamp of the saint today in the blessing of the animals of San Antón, a saint protector of animals in Pamplona, 17 January, 2023. Photo Credit: SOPA Images/Getty Images

Animals Spain11. April 2023

Treat Your Pets with Respect: It’s the Law

As of now, mistreating domestic animals is punishable by law in Spain as the government reformed its penal code to align with the sensitivity of the population which wants to see animals better protected.

“It is a very important day because Parliament has definitively approved the first law on animal rights (since the restoration) of our democracy,” explains Ione Belarra, Minister of Social Rights and leader of the radical left Podemos party. The law “will put an end to the impunity of people mistreating animals.”

Under the new law, dog owners will be obligated to undergo training and prohibited from leaving them alone for more than 24 hours. Also, it will be compulsory to have cats sterilized because birth control remains a good way to prevent abandonment. Penalties have been revised to better protect animals. For example, mistreating an animal can lead to up to a year and a half in prison should the animal requires veterinary care. In case of death, the sentence is two years, and three if there are aggravating circumstances. The law applies to domestic animals, not farm animals or hunting dogs.

Source:
Euronews

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