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ARCHIVED - Animal Protection Law in Spain gets the green light after months of delays
The law will ban people convicted of animal abuse crimes from owning pets in Spain
After months of false starts, the new animal protection bill will finally see the light of day on Friday February 18. The groundbreaking decree has been held up by the Ministry of Agriculture, which supported hunters across Spain who wanted their dogs exempted from the rule limiting the number of litters a female dog can have, and restricting breeding to certified professionals.
Commonly known as the Animal Rights Law, the new legislation will prohibit the slaughter of abandoned animals, ban their sale in pet shops and prohibit abusive practices such as circuses and cockfights, which are still legal in Andalucía and the Canary Islands.
The Ministry of Social Rights has refused to make any changes to the bill, while pointing out that the document doesn’t include any restrictions on hunting, Rather, it aims to crack down on the “hundreds of cases a year of interventions in breeding centres where bitches give birth without rest until they die of exhaustion”.
The law will prohibit practices that cause suffering to pets, such as the use of electric collars or spikes, and will create a registry of offenders that prevents the possession of animals. The breeding of American minks will be banned due to their invasive nature, and the sale and possession of exotic animals that represent “a potential risk to public safety or the environment” will be forbidden.
The fines doled out for infractions once the law is passed will vary depending on the severity of the offence, but the most serious crimes will carry fines of up to 600,000 euros.
Image: Guardia Civil
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