Veterinarian Beatriz Hernández was checking 'Garra', a neutered cat, at the Labrador veterinary clinic in Madrid on Tuesday. KIKE PARA
Millions of Spaniards live in their homes with dogs, cats and other pets - there are 29 million pets, according to feed manufacturers - and consider them an essential part of their family.
The Law for the Protection, Rights and Welfare of Animals aims to regulate how they are treated, and it is not surprising that an issue that affects so many people — almost 10 million households, according to the Anfaac employers — has sparked so much controversy.
The hunting sector asks to withdraw it (and the PSOE surprised by presenting a motion to remove hunting dogs from the norm), scientists demand that stray cats not be protected due to their effect on biodiversity, while animal organizations consider that it falls short.
These are the novelties included in the rule —which may change when the amendments are voted,
Mandatory course for all dog owners
Article 30 of the law states that "people who choose to own dogs must prove that they have completed a training course for dog ownership with indefinite validity."
Sergio García Torres, director of Animal Rights, explains that it will be "a brief knowledge acquisition training that will be done
online,
although it can also be carried out at the veterinarian's office for those who need it."
It will consist of seeing a series of slides and infographics, and various information texts and then answering some simple test-type questions, in order to assess that the minimum questions for owning a pet are known.
More information
Congress knocks down the amendments to the entire animal welfare law: these are the points where there is the most controversy
Compulsory insurance for all dogs
The same article requires "third-party liability insurance" for any dog owner.
It is a regulation similar to the one that already exists in some communities, such as Madrid and the Basque Country.
According to the Spanish Network for the Identification of Companion Animals, in Spain there are currently some 8.5 million registered dogs —there may be more unregistered—, whose owners will need one of these policies.
José Luis Ramírez, from Caser, points out that "these insurances have been on the market for a long time and usually have a low price": policies for dangerous dogs -which are already mandatory- range between 50 and 100 euros a year, and for dogs smaller ones can go from 20 to 50, approximately.
In addition, many home insurance policies already include this type of coverage.
Forbidden to leave a dog alone for more than 24 hours
Point 27 punishes "leaving any pet unattended for more than three consecutive days", a term that "may not exceed 24 hours for the canine species".
According to García Torres, “logic dictates that a dog cannot be locked up in a closed apartment for a whole day, because he needs to go out twice a day to relieve himself.
Another thing is that you live on a plot or in the field and that the dog can come and go.
Laura Moreno, from WWF, points out that her allegations have been taken into account to make the conditions of the shepherd dogs that protect the cattle more flexible.
Thus, article 28 speaks of working dogs, "which will not be considered abandoned,
Hunting dogs in doubt
The PSOE maintains a motion to remove hunting dogs from the norm, although it remains to be seen if it gets enough support.
Podemos has already said that it would mean devaluing the law and the animalist entities have shouted to the heavens;
Scientists and veterinarians don't understand it either, but it has the support of the Royal Spanish Hunting Federation.
If it were to go ahead, all dogs that carry out some type of activity would be left out of protection: police dogs, Army dogs, work dogs, assistance dogs, ONCE guide dogs, hunting dogs and shepherds, in addition to falconry and archery. squab.
In the current articles, articles 33 to 39 speak of dogs used in specific and professional activities, which may not be subjected to overexertion, pain or stress, and will have to undergo annual veterinary check-ups.
Herding dogs must always be geolocated and hunting dogs, registered in the Registry of Companion Animals.
A woman was walking her two dogs through the center of Madrid. KIKE PARA
Not all dogs need to be sterilized
The Royal Spanish Hunting Federation, one of the most critical of the rule, denounces that the legislation "prevents replacement breeding and requires the sterilization [of dogs] without technical or scientific arguments to support it."
It isn't true.
The first draft did speak of this obligation when males and females live together to avoid accidental litters, but after the allegations it is no longer in the articles.
Yes, it will be mandatory for dogs up for adoption from an animal protection entity, as is already the case in most communities.
What is stated is that whoever wants to have puppies must register in the Registry of Pet Breeders (art. 27), a simple and
online
state registry that will be created after the norm (whoever does not do so may face a light penalty, from 500 to 10,000 euros).
This measure seeks to put an end to the very high rates of pet abandonment in Spain: in 2021, the protectors collected 285,000 dogs and cats, according to the Affinity Foundation;
21% were due to unwanted litters, 13.4% due to the end of the hunting season and 13% due to behavioral problems.
The list of dangerous dogs disappears
The law repeals the list of eight potentially dangerous dog breeds and replaces it with a sociability evaluation for larger dogs, which in principle should be carried out by veterinary ethologists (behavior specialists).
It is not yet known which dogs it will affect, but the idea is from 10 kilos of weight.
Those who pass the test will be able to handle themselves like the others, while those who do not pass it (or prefer not to do so) will need special handling with a short leash and muzzle, among other issues.
It remains to be seen how the test will be and how many dogs must pass it.
In the absence of specificity, this idea pleases veterinarians and the Royal Canine Society, which in fact already has a sociability test that some 4,000 dogs have passed.
Mandatory sterilization of all cats
Article 26 requires “identification by microchip and surgical sterilization of all cats before six months of age”.
That already happens with all the cats that come from a protector and some communities have regulated it, but now it is extended to all copies.
Whoever does not want to castrate their animal must register in the Registry of Pet Breeders or they may face a light penalty (from 500 to 10,000 euros).
“It is not reasonable to force the sterilization of all cats, if you have it controlled at home and it does not come out, you would not have to do it”, criticizes the deputy Milagros Marcos, of the PP.
The veterinarian will be in charge of controlling this aspect.
Luis Alberto Calvo, president of the Veterinary Collegiate Organization, criticizes that professionals are not health authorities, so "it will be difficult for them to denounce owners who do not want to sterilize their cats, since this is not abuse."
In any case, "most domestic cats that live in houses are sterilized, because living with unneutered cats is very complicated by the sexual behavior of these animals."
The controversial care of feline colonies
Article 46 and successive ones bet on the CER method (Capture, sterilization and return) to manage feline colonies, whose members are required to be identified with a microchip, a task that must be taken care of by city councils.
This point upset biologists and conservationists, because wild cats pose a problem for biodiversity in some environments.
The controversy served to include the possibility of relocation: "Capture a feline colony and move it to another site to preserve a natural space."
Killing cats is not contemplated.
Miguel Clavero, from the Doñana Biological Station, criticizes that this relocation is considered an exception, when it should be the norm: "In a place where there is a feline colony there is usually an impact on biodiversity."
In addition, he has doubts about how these relocations will be carried out.
The norm also creates the figure of the feline colony caretaker, "that person who cares for community cats following a management method" such as the CER.
"But there is an accumulation of cats, what makes sense is population control," denounces Milagros Marcos (PP).
However, municipalities such as Madrid (PP and Cs) already have this figure in place and even accredit it with a card;
in the capital there are 5,000 registered feline colonies.
It will be possible to continue having hamsters and parakeets
One of the hoaxes that has been heard in recent days is that with the new rule it will no longer be possible to have hamsters, turtles and parakeets at home, as Manuel Fuentes, falconer and member of Vox, has explained in various media.
The confusion – intentional or not – comes because article 42 of the law advances that a positive list of pets will be created and the possession and sale of others will be prohibited.
“This is done to limit the animals that can be sold, so that invasive species do not continue to enter.
And from there we can work to reduce those that are already there”, says the Directorate General for Animal Rights.
That list, still to be defined, will have to be drawn up by a scientific committee in the coming months.
“It is fundamental”, says Matilde Cubillo, president of the Association of Protectors of Madrid (Fapam).
“Argentine parrots were sold and irresponsibly abandoned, and now they are an invasive species and are legally killed.
That is what is intended to be avoided."
In addition to these birds, we think of some reptiles and turtles, and American minks, although in this case there is a problem of escapes from fur farms, which are outside the norm.
Meanwhile, the unlisted species will continue as before;
if any species does not enter the list they will not be “illegal” individuals, but their breeding will be regulated and prohibited.
Caring for canaries is not prohibited, but capturing goldfinches is
Another of the half-truths about the law is that it prohibits silvestrism (the capture and care of certain field birds in captivity) and the keeping of canaries.
It is true that the art.
24 of the standard prevents “the possession, breeding and trade of finches captured from the wild”, but it specifically refers to goldfinches, serins and greenfinches, songbirds that live in the wild.
"This is done to comply with a European Union directive, and in addition many communities already prohibit it," says the director of Animal Rights.
The canaries that are raised in the domestic sphere would therefore be outside this limitation.
Cats, dogs and ferrets may not be sold in pet stores
The rule (from art. 59) prohibits the sale of dogs, cats and ferrets in pet shops, as is already the case, in part, in the Community of Madrid.
These establishments may, however, show pets for adoption through agreements with protectors.
Thus, only fish, rodents and birds from registered breeders may be sold there.
This measure is intended to avoid impulse purchases, which are the ones that later lead to abandonment.
Pet stores have strongly criticized this ban.
Adolfo Santaolalla, from the Adepac employer association (which brings together food, distribution and pet stores), points out that there is much more control of animals in stores than in breeders - most of which are not professional - and says that if the standard includes this limitation, breed dogs will be missing.
García Torres defends himself: "In Madrid, where since 2016 you can no longer put animals in the window, there are more and more stores dedicated to pets, only that they modify their offer to offer accessories and food".
All compulsory identification animals (precisely dogs, cats and ferrets, as well as ringed birds) must be registered in the Registry of Companion Animals, together with the identity of their owners, once again to fight against abandonment.
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