Spain legally recognizes pets as family members

Spain took an important step in the defense of animal rights this Wednesday since it granted pets (companion animals) a different legal status than material goods under which they will be considered “living beings endowed with sensitivity.”

The legal change was achieved with a triple legal reform of the Civil Code, the Mortgage Law and the Civil Procedure Law finally approved by the Congress of Deputies on December 2 and published on December 16 in the Official State Gazette, collects The vanguard.

Under the new rule, they will have a different legal treatment than that of any inanimate object, so the abandonment of pets is prohibited and they cannot be caused suffering or pain.

In addition, when a lost pet is found, it must be returned to its rightful owner, although there are exceptions if there are indications that the animal has suffered abuse.

The reform also establishes that, in mortgage matters, domestic animals may not be subject to seizure or guarantee for loans.

Thanks to the legal modifications, in the event of a divorce, a judge will be able to decide who the pet will keep “taking into account the interests of the family members and the welfare of the animal.” Joint custody and child support may be considered.

In the case of the death of their owners, the pets will be considered in the wills and if they were not contemplated in last wills, they will be delivered to the heirs who claim them, but while the process is being carried out they will be sent to reception centers for abandoned animals. and, if there are no heirs, they may assign them to a third party for their care and protection, refers The country.

Animal defense associations see these changes very positively and say that Spain is following the path of other European countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland or Portugal.

For its approval, all the parliamentary blocs voted in favor of this measure except the extreme right-wing Vox, who did so against it, since it considers it “nonsense”, and the Popular Party, which abstained.

Other projects in favor of animals

It is expected that in the coming weeks the Council of Ministers will begin to process the draft of the animal protection law, which leaves out the species of food production, livestock and bullfighting and that seeks to prohibit the sacrifice of animals except for a just cause, which would avoid the death of the specimens that arrive at the kennels if no one adopts them.

The other possible future regulations seek to create a system of records of animal protection, of professionals who work with them and one more of people disabled to have animals.

However, some of the measures have generated controversy such as the prohibition of leaving a dog unattended for more than 24 hours and the elimination of the list of dangerous dogs.

Other measures are the veto of the use of wild fauna in circuses, the end of the sale of pets in stores, the prohibition of breeding and sale of animals by individuals, the obligation to sterilize pets if several specimens of different sex live together. can be reproduced.

And a reform of the Penal Code is also underway that provides for tougher penalties for animal abuse. (I)