Spain passes law against domestic animal abuse

Spain adopted a new law on animal welfare on Thursday, increasing the punishment for mistreatment

Spanish lawmakers passed a law on animal welfare on Thursday, accompanied by a reform of the penal code which increases prison sentences for those mistreating animals.

“It is a very important day because Parliament has definitively approved the first law on animal rights (since the restoration) of our democracy,” Ione Belarra, Minister of Social Rights and leader of the radical left Podemos party said.

The law “will put an end to the impunity of people mistreating animals” and it represents a “progress which corresponds to the sensitivity of our fellow citizens who want, for the most part, to protect” animals, she added.

This law will require “compulsory” training for dog owners, who will also be prohibited from leaving them alone for more than 24 hours.

It also makes the sterilisation of cats compulsory, except on farms, with animal rights associations stressing the importance of birth control in order to avoid abandonment.

The reform of the penal code, which accompanies the law, increases the penalties for mistreatment which can land offenders with up to a year and a half in prison, if the animal requires veterinary care.