And it is only now that the central government has taken care of this problem. It turned out that against the background of population decline, many have pets, but they are not well cared for. The new law is supposed to end cruelty to animals. “Everyone is obliged to treat animals in accordance with their condition as rational beings,” says the document approved by parliament.
Now, people who want to have a pet have to take an online master class to get a basic understanding of what they will face. True, it is still unclear whether only future owners will be required to pass it, or whether this requirement will also apply to those who already have pets, whether this knowledge will only be in digital form, or whether the authorities will print one more book. or flyer.
Under the new law, all cats must be surgically sterilized before the age of six months, except those registered in a special register of breeders. Otherwise, a fine from 500 to 10 thousand euros threatens. Both indoor and outdoor cats will be microchipped. Two million euros will be allocated from the budget for these purposes.
Dog owners will be required to take training courses. Pets will not be allowed to be left alone for more than 24 hours. Separately, potentially dangerous breeds of dogs are prescribed, which must be walked on a short leash and always muzzled. Owners are also required to carry third party damage insurance. Experts estimate that for small dogs this insurance can range from 20 to 50 euros per year, and for dangerous dogs from 50 to 100 euros per year. Interestingly, the law does not contain information on hunting, assistance and sporting dogs. The Ministry of Agriculture will develop special regulations for them.
By the way, it will be possible to buy a dog, cat or ferret only from people who are professionally engaged in breeding pets, their sale in pet stores is prohibited.
A list of animals that are normally found in the wild but are considered domestic should be created soon. It will include, for example, hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs. These rodents, as before, can be bought in the store, like most aquarium fish. But turtles, parrots and most reptiles will completely disappear from the market, because, according to the law, they are protected species.
And those who already have dangerous or protected animal species will have to report their presence to the authorities. We are talking about poisonous arthropods, fish and amphibians, reptiles weighing more than two kilograms, primates, wild mammals weighing more than five kilograms and other animals whose keeping in captivity is prohibited locally. And the state will remove them.
In addition to the adoption of a new law, the Spanish Penal Code will be strengthened. The penalty for cruelty to animals will increase. Pets will be forcibly confiscated. Owners can be imprisoned from a year and a half if the animal needs veterinary care, up to two years in the event of death. Until now, the maximum sentence for these crimes has been 18 months.
