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We can agree to go ahead with the animal welfare law without including hunting dogs, as required by the PSOE

2023-02-09T14:14:45.821Z


The coalition partners have tightened the rope until the last minute before the vote in Congress on the norm, scheduled for this Thursday


PSOE and Podemos have tightened the rope until the last minute regarding the Law on the protection, rights and welfare of animals, which is voted on this Thursday in Congress.

The rule, which includes measures such as mandatory courses for all dog owners and the forced sterilization of cats, has generated strong controversy and several groups have called for its withdrawal, from some animalists (for falling short), to veterinarians, biologists, jurists and hunters, who attribute deficiencies to it.

The element that has the potential to derail the project, becoming a new front for a government coalition already worn out by the controversy of the so-called

law of only yes is yes,

is the inclusion or not of hunting dogs in the norm .

The PSOE presented an amendment in September to exclude them (in a nod to the rural vote) and has not changed the position, which Podemos and the investiture partners considered a red line until this very Thursday.

But both Podemos and ERC and Bildu have announced in Congress that they will vote in favor without including hunting dogs.

Even so, it is not clear that they have the votes to pass it.

Meanwhile, the reform of the Penal Code that will punish animal abuse more and that will also be voted on this Thursday does, in principle, have the necessary support.

The amendment of the socialists, which had the support of PP, Ciudadanos, Vox and PNV, excludes from the law hunting dogs, rehalas, shepherd dogs and Security Forces and Bodies, as well as animals used in sports activities recognized by the Higher Sports Council and falconry birds.

For the former, they propose a specific regulation through the National Hunting Management Strategy, which depends on the Ministry of Agriculture (in the hands of the PSOE).

However, PP, PNV and Vox will vote against the law, and CS will abstain, so without the investiture majority the numbers do not come out.

"The PSOE has understood that hunting and rehauling dogs should be treated differently from that of a Chihuahua that lives in an apartment in Madrid," explains Manuel Gallardo, president of the Royal Spanish Hunting Federation (RFEC), the second with most federated in the country (337,000), only behind soccer.

“These animals are not pets, they have to have a specific regulation.

In addition, Spain is one of the most advanced countries in Europe in terms of animal protection, there are already 80 regulations of all kinds that regulate it.

The regional laws exceed this state minimum”.

More information

Dogs at the center of controversy: protect hunting or animals

A position contrary to that maintained by protectionist entities, which ask to include these dogs.

"The PSOE amendment that proposes the segregation of dogs based on professional and leisure activities is a regressive movement in Spain," criticizes the Franz Weber Foundation.

The Royal Canine Society of Spain sees serious gaps in this exclusion: “It is very difficult to know which dogs would be affected by this amendment, because 80% of the breeds can be used for hunting.

We do not know if it refers to breeds, to dogs subject to a license, or in what way they will articulate it.

It will mean an absurd vacuum”, says José Miguel Doval, its president.

In fact, 52 animal organizations asked on Wednesday to withdraw the rule if this exclusion is approved.

“It is intended to be a framework law of reference for communities, but it leaves out many types of dogs, cockfighting is not prohibited, nor are animals regulated at fairs or pilgrimages.

Thus, the regulation is going to mean a setback," denounces Dulce Aguilera, from Damac Juristas, one of the signatory organizations.

Podemos, ERC, Bildu and Más País registered a compromise amendment on Wednesday demanding that the Socialists withdraw that exclusion and return to the previous agreement.

“All dogs have to be protected by law.

We are in time for the PSOE to rectify ”, pointed out Lilith Verstrynge, spokesperson for Podemos.

PSOE sources declined to comment on this movement: “We continue negotiating.

Our will is for the law to come out.”

The general director of Animal Rights, Sergio García Torres, has reiterated on several occasions that the law should include all dogs and has even threatened to resign if this is not the case.

On Wednesday he declined to comment on whether he stands by him.

Other contentious points

Although the approval of the law depends, in principle, on the inclusion of hunting dogs -although it could be approved and later amended in the Senate-, it is not the only controversial point of the norm.

Eneko Arrondo, a biologist at the University of Granada, was one of the promoters of a letter published in EL PAÍS that was signed by more than 800 scientists criticizing the shortcomings of the first draft of the standard.

Some have been fixed and others remain.

“Above all, we are against the CER method (capture, sterilization and return) to manage feline colonies.

Cats are a threat to biodiversity, especially for small reptiles and amphibians, for beetles and for many birds," says Arrondo.

That wording was changed and now it is allowed to move stray cats when they pose a risk to biodiversity.

Something similar occurs with the conservation NGO WWF, which puts buts on the legislation.

"Our main complaint is that it leaves out the closure of mink farms, which have a huge impact on biodiversity, and it is also a species that is a vector of covid-19 and avian flu," laments Laura Moreno, manager of threatened species of the environmental entity.

"And it's a shame that hunting dogs are left out, it's not understood," she adds.

Meanwhile, the Collegiate Veterinary Organization, which brings together some 34,000 professionals, denounces that their claims have not been met and calls for the withdrawal of the standard "for lack of scientific rigor."

“Euthanasia is prohibited except to avoid suffering from unrecoverable causes, and that is very problematic.

What will happen when a dog needs palliative treatment and its owner cannot pay for it? ”, Explain sources from the school.

“We also have doubts about who is going to teach the courses for dog owners, if we are going to be the veterinarians or if they will be people with less training.

And the restricted list of species that can be kept as pets is going to generate big problems”, they add.

This Thursday the reform of the Criminal Code is also voted to toughen the penalties for animal abuse, a point that in principle has the votes to be approved.

The current norm already includes the mistreatment of domestic animals or animals that live under human control;

The prison sentence for injuries is up to 12 months, and up to 18 if the death of the animal occurs with aggravating circumstances (such as cruelty or in the presence of a minor).

Zoophilia and sexual exploitation are also punished.

The reform proposes doubling the maximum sentences, so that the punishment for the death of an animal would be 12 to 24 months in prison (or a fine of 18 to 24 months), and if two aggravating factors come together, it could be extended up to 36 months in prison. .

This is a historical claim of animal and environmental organizations.

However, it also raises some doubts, especially regarding the possibility of exchanging prison for a fine, something that according to Animal Rights was an imposition of the Ministry of Justice, which co-sponsors the reform;

the ministry refuses to comment on this aspect.

Dulce Aguilera, from Damac Juristas, points out that all judges will bet on the fine and impunity will be created, so the reform is regressive.

Laura Moreno, from WWF,

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2023-02-09

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