CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE FUTURE ANIMAL WELFARE LAW
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Last September, the PSOE presented an amendment to its own Animal Protection Bill to exclude hunting dogs and other animals used in professional activities such as livestock breeding, falconry, and even police or rescue.
Since then, animal protection groups and organizations have been protesting to demand rights for all dogs without exception, while the hunting sector has been calling for a different regulation to that of pets. Very different opinions and arguments that, once again, have awakened a controversy in Spain.
The draft Law for the protection, rights and welfare of animals seeks to put an end to the mistreatment, abandonment and slaughter of pets and wild animals in captivity, which will also be accompanied by a modification of the Penal Code for the entire national territory.
The rate of animal abandonment in Spain is one of the highest in Europe, with around 285,000 dogs and cats collected annually by animal shelters throughout the state, according to figures collected by the study “He would never do it 2022″ of the Affinity Foundation.
The two most important reasons for abandonment reported by animal shelters are unwanted litters and the end of the hunting season. Animal welfare and rescue associations estimate that around 50,000 greyhounds are abandoned every year in our country.
That is why the animal welfare law also includes measures such as the forced sterilization of animals with the opportunity to procreate and limits the breeding of dogs to authorized personnel.
Spain is one of the few countries in the European Union where hunting with dogs is still legal (along with Slovakia or Hungary) and is regulated by the autonomous communities that have competence in this regard.
We would like to know your point of view about it:
Do you think this law is necessary? Would you make a distinction for animals in the hunting sector?
Share your opinion about the new draft Law for the protection, rights and welfare of animals in the comments section. We will be delighted to read your comments.
