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ARCHIVED - Pet shops in Spain banned from selling small animals
The new law will only permit the sale of fish in pet stores across Spain
The preliminary draft of the Law on the Protection, Rights and Welfare of Animals is making many waves in Spain, as it brings a raft of changes to the obligations and responsibilities of everyone who deals with pets.
One of the more celebrated issues relates to a ban on selling any animals, apart from fish, in pet stores, an issue which has been debated for many years. When the law comes into force later this year, the common sight of rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and even puppies in cramped cages and enclosures in shops will be no more; anyone wanting a new pet will have to go through a registered breeder or adopt from an animal shelter.
Prior to the new law, many communities and even private businesses made the choice to stop displaying dogs and cats in their stores, to avoid the often devastating results of impulse buying, but also because a shop environment is incredibly stressful for pups and kittens and robs them of the vital socialisation phase. Now, the national rule not only applies to all pet stores in Spain, but also extends to all pets, small mammals, reptiles and birds.
The law, however, is not without its detractors, and many believe that the added bureaucracy involved in buying or adopting a pet will put people off.
Claudia Compte, Legal Director of Kiwoko, a company that still sells small animals, feels that the legislation will only lead to more so-called ‘backyard breeders’ and a larger black market demand for pets.
For the most part, though, the changes have been welcomed as a pioneering step forward in animal protection. Spain has one of the worst records in all of Europe for animal abandonment, and the Association for the Protection of Small Animals claims that the new rules will make miniature pets such as hamsters and gerbils “more valuable” and less disposable than they are now.
Image: Peta
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