The Animal Welfare Law has not yet entered into force due to disagreements between political parties over the amendment to exclude hunting dogs from the text, but when this occurs, it will include a list detailing hunting dogs. the animals that will be prohibited to have at home. Some of them, such as turtles, rabbits, or certain rodents, have been regular pets in Spanish homes and the question arises as to what will happen if we have one of them at home. Well, according to the recently published draft of the bill, the rule provides for fines of between 500 and 200,000 euros for those who violate it.
The Law will include a “positive list” with the animals that will be allowed to have as pets and that must meet certain requirements such as not posing a risk to people, not being susceptible to becoming an invasive species, that their needs are easy to meet and that the fact of living in captivity does not cause them suffering. The rule, which is expected to come into force this year, will prohibit the possession of rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, hamsters, chinchillas, spiders, parakeets, parrots, lovebirds, turtles, geckos, iguanas, snakes or chameleons in the home.
The fine for having a prohibited pet in this case will depend on factors such as the damage that has been caused to the animal, the intention, or the social and health consequences.
If we have any of these animals at home, but they have lived with us for a long time, that is, since before the approval of the Law, we should not have any problems, except that when the regulation is definitively approved it establishes the opposite, although, in any case, they must be correctly registered and vaccinated, and their owners must prevent them from reproducing.
If after the approval of the Law we take home an animal that has been included in the list of not allowed, we can be sanctioned and, as we indicated previously, the amount of the fine can range between 500 and 200,000 euros, depending on the circumstances. , such as the damage that has been caused to the animal, the intention of the defendant, the social and health consequences, and if the culprit is a repeat offender.
Some infractions will be considered very serious, in which case the fine can go up to 200,000 euros; This is the case of raising animals for sale by unauthorized persons. So, for example, raising puppies from your dog and selling some online, something that many people have done so far, could be very expensive.
The new legislative project specifies that in order to advertise the sale of animals “through the media, magazines, similar publications and other dissemination systems, such as the Internet, the breeder’s registration number or the zoological nucleus must be included in the announcement.” of the establishment of sale, as well as the identification number of the animal in its case”.
These are the fines for having prohibited animals in the home
According to the draft of the Animal Welfare Bill, the offenses provided for in this law will be penalized as follows and for the amount:
Minor offences: from 500 to 10,000 euros
A minor infraction is considered any conduct that, by action or omission and without causing physical damage or alterations in its behavior to the animal, entails the non-observance of prohibitions, care or obligations established by law or those derived from the breach of administrative responsibilities by the owners or responsible for the animal.
Serious offences: from €10,001 to €50,000
A serious infraction is considered any conduct that by action or omission and derived from the breach of obligations or the performance of prohibited conducts imply damage or suffering to the animal, provided that they do not cause death or serious consequences. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following are considered serious sanctions:
a) Non-compliance, by action and omission, of the obligations and prohibitions required by this law, which implies damage or suffering to the animal, when it produces serious permanent sequelae, damage or serious injuries to the animals, provided that it does not constitute a crime.
b) Failure to comply with the obligations of animal identification.
c) The use of aggressive or violent methods in the education of the animal.
d) The administration of substances that harm animals or alter their behavior, unless they are prescribed by veterinarians and with a therapeutic purpose for the animal.
e) Perform unauthorized mutilations or body modifications on the animal.
f) Using animals as an object of reward, prize, raffle or promotion.
g) Using animals as an advertising claim without authorization.
h) Breed allochthonous wild animals, as well as trade with them, except in the cases provided for in this law.
i) The shipment of live animals except in the cases provided for in this law.
j) The withdrawal, relocation or displacement of community cats in situations other than those permitted in this law.
k) The abandonment of one or more animals. The lack of communication of the loss or theft of an animal will not be considered as a serious offense, but rather as a minor one; on the other hand, failure to collect the animal from residences or other similar establishments in which it has been collected, and the abandonment of the animal in risky conditions, will be considered a serious infraction.
l) The robbery, theft or misappropriation of an animal.
m) Not reporting the loss or theft of the animal or not picking it up from veterinary centers, residences or other similar establishments in which they had previously been deposited, despite not posing a risk to the animal.
n) Feed the animals with viscera, corpses and other offal from animals that have not passed the appropriate health controls.
o) Permanently keeping dogs or cats on terraces, balconies, rooftops, storage rooms, basements, patios and similar or vehicles.
p) The commission of more than one minor offense within a period of three years when so declared in a firm administrative resolution.
Very serious offences: from 50,001 to 200,000 euros
Very serious offenses are considered:
a) Failure to comply with the obligations and prohibitions required by this law when the death of the animal occurs, provided that it does not constitute a crime, as well as the unauthorized slaughter of animals.
b) The euthanasia of animals with inadequate means or by unqualified personnel.
c) The training and use of animals for fights and fights with other animals or people.
d) The use of companion animals for human consumption.
e) Kill community cats outside of the cases authorized by this law.
f) The breeding, trade or exhibition of animals for commercial purposes by unauthorized persons or the sale of dogs, cats and ferrets in pet shops.
g) The use of animals in prohibited activities, particularly in cultural and festive activities, in mechanical attractions, fairground carousels, as well as the use of species of wild fauna in circus shows.
h) The use of genetic selection of companion animals that is detrimental to their health.
i) The commission of more than one serious offense within a period of three years, when so declared by a firm administrative resolution.
.
