They say a dog is a man’s best friend, so it’s time we treat them like one! Since 2023, pet welfare in Spain has improved significantly, becoming the European country with the strongest animal protection laws- let’s revise them.
IN 2023, Spain implemented the ‘Ley de Protección de los Derechos y el Bienestar de los Animales’ (The Law of Protection of Rights and Animal Welfare) which in essence, proclaimed animals as sentient beings, not objects, something that previously wasn’t legally recognized. This means their well-being must be considered under the law, in divorce settlements as well as, most importantly, in the case of neglect or abuse, leading to criminal charges.
Some of the basic obligations that come under this law are that your pet must have enough drink and water, receive enough exercise (in the case of a dog), access to proper veterinary care and adequate shelter. You may be fined or even imprisoned for; abandoning your pet, killing your pet (unless in veterinary cases), using them for fights, leaving your dog tied up for too long as well as mutilating them, such as tail docking or ear cropping. Failure to follow these rules could lead you to very heavy fines of up to, in very severe cases, 200,000 euros or even prison.
Dogs have a series of different requirements that must be followed by their owners, such as microchip and register them, provide vaccines and in some regions complete an online course for dog ownership. PPP (Potential Dangerous Dogs) still require a special license and are covered by a separate law. This welfare law also controls animal breeding allowing only registered breeders to sell pets.
Finally, even our wild friends, the cat colonies get protection. These cats must be CSR’d, Captured, Sterilized and Returned. Overall, Spain has incredibly strengthened their animal welfare laws to ensure our animals are well looked after and officially part of the family.
On our latest episode of Good Morning Spain, we chatted about this topic as well as whether due to these new rules; Are dog owners pushing their pets on others, like in restaurants and bars, and should they be more aware?
