On the same day that regional elections are held in Castilla y León, veterinarian Carlos Rodríguez has called for voting awareness in Like the dog and the cat. “What we do at the polls also manifests itself in what our animals can receive.”
This has been indicated after reporting several cases in which “characters” have been seen throwing puppies out of a window “or cut off an animal’s legs because they felt like it.” The director of the program has also denounced other occasions in which “they hang them from trees, burn them or pour acid on them.” And warns that “it is not a horror movie”, but “the reality of what is happening in our countrySpain, which still continues to be the absolute leader in the abandonment of animals.
At this point, Rodríguez remembers that “there is a democratic way to make things change (…) We have the opportunity to vote for those who think what we want to happen.” According to complaint In Spain “we continue with useless legislation and without prosecution of the sentences awarded”. That is why he warns that “something is wrong.” In fact, he states that “someone who kills an animal savagely has an 88% chance of doing the same with a human being.”
What Spanish legislation says
In Spain, as stated in Law 7/2023, of March 28, on the protection of the rights and well-being of animals, animal rights are understood to be “their right to good treatment, respect and protection.” These will be “inherent and derived from their nature as sentient beings, and with the obligations that the legal system imposes on people, particularly those who maintain contact or relationship with them.”
Regarding sanctions, the law contemplates:
- Minor violations: fine of 500 to 10,000 euros.
- Serious violations: fine of 10,000 to 50,000 euros.
- Very serious violations: fine of 50,000 to 200,000 euros.
Even so, the rule states that Both the Government and the autonomous communities can “introduce specifications or graduations” in infractions and sanctions when they contribute to “the most correct identification of the conduct, the most precise determination of the corresponding sanctions or the updating of their amounts.” All the money from the sanctions will be used for “actions that aim to protect animals.”