Spain will soon be implementing its new “Ley de Bienestar Animal” (BOE-A-2023-7936) or “Animal Welfare Law” in English. This piece of legislation seeks to protect the welfare of animals, whether it be domestic pets or wild animals. Here is what it entails – and what it might mean for you:
Mandatory Training Course
There are many different aspects to this new law, many of which will be important for those in Spain who have pets. For instance, once the law goes into effect on September 29th 2023, it will become mandatory for all dog and cat owners to take a training course. The main objective is to ensure that all domestic pet owners have basic knowledge “in the handling, care and keeping of animals.” Spain’s General director of Animal Rights, Sergio García Torres, compared the course to those that food handlers must take before being allowed to work in restaurants. The course will be free, and available to take either online or in person. The details are still in development, but The Royal Canine Society reports that the course will contain at least three parts: General and veterinary care, animal welfare, and animal legislation. By September 29th 2025, two years after the law is officially put into place, all pet owners must have this training course completed. Those who fail to participate will face fines ranging from 500 to 10,000 euros.
New Standards for Animal Care
Along with this training course, owners must also agree to abide by new standards set to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all animals. For instance, you cannot leave your pet home alone for more than 24 hours, and you cannot have them locked on a balcony or patio. Another is that you must guarantee your animals have adequate access to food and water, as well as sufficient hygienic-sanitary conditions. It will also become mandatory to sterilize and vaccinate your pets under this law. There are a multitude of other requirements that owners must ensure for their pets, all of which seek to protect the animal, viewing them as a sentient being.
Mandatory Liability Insurance
The law will also require Spanish residents to take out civil liability insurance for the entirety of their animal’s life. The law states that all pets, including dogs no matter the breed or size, will be required to have this compulsory insurance. This is where we come in…
So what exactly is pet insurance? It’s essentially meant to cover any material damages or physical injuries an animal may cause to third parties. It will cover both the owner of the animal, as well as those who may temporarily take care of it, like when someone else takes them out for a walk. However, insurers will not cover expenses in which the owner has acted negligently. Additionally, those who fail to purchase a liability insurance plan for their pet could be met with fines of up to 10,000 euros. One notable part of the new law is that the costs of dog owners’ policies will differ depending on whether the breed of their dog is considered potentially dangerous or not.
Our Services
Gidea is offering great pet liability insurance through our insurance brokerage company. For both potentially dangerous and non-dangerous dogs, policies will have a 300,000 euro global limit per claim, with an overall annuity limit up to 900,000 euros. The costs for both classifications will vary, but will be around 30 to 90 euros a year per pet.
For more information, give us a call at (+34) 604-52-21-65 or send us a message
Spain Loves Their Pets!
Many residents in Spain have pets that they love and care for. So much so that 70% of owners in Spain think of their animals as members of their family! 58% of people in Spain – more than half the population – own at least one pet, and 47% own more than one. With a total of around 28 million registered pets in the country, their owners will have to become aware of this new law and take steps to further protect their animals. In 2023, this is even more important than ever. The ITA reports that during the pandemic, pet ownership increased by 25%. Just like we depend on our pets for companionship and comfort during turbulent times, our pets also depend on us to keep them as safe and healthy as possible. With Spain having the fifth largest pet market in all of Europe according to TGM’s global pet survey, this new law will help all of us to do just that.
Those Without Pets at Home
While pets are becoming more and more popular in Spain, there are still lots of people in the country who don’t have any, and this law will also be a benefit to them as well! With owners becoming more educated on how to handle their pets, and with liability insurance for any potential accidents, everyone will have a safer community to live in.
Other Animals This Law Affects
There aren’t only pets in Spain we should seek to protect – there are many strays and wild animals in our country that should be viewed with just as much humanity and care. Unfortunately, Spain is the leading European country in animal abandonment.2.6% of all dogs in Spain are abandoned. This might not seem like a lot, but this equals out to over 288,000 cats and dogs that were picked off the street by rescuers, reported by Murcia Today. Hopefully once implemented, this new piece of legislation will help to decrease these numbers.
The Few Exceptions
There are exceptions to this new law, however. Not all dogs will have to be insured. This includes hunting, herding and livestock guarding dogs, as these are classified as “special handling dogs outside specific activities”. This distinction between domestic and non-domestic dogs has caused some debate on the specifics of the soon-to-be law. This is one of the most controversial aspects to the law, with many worrying that people will find loopholes to continue mistreating these “non-domestic” dogs. This is because hunting dogs, most commonly Spanish greyhounds known as “galgos,” are routinely abused after hunting season ends. Many face starvation, beatings, and other forms of torture resulting in painful deaths. You can visit the SPCA’s website for more information on what you can do to help galgos. While the law regarding this specific issue will hopefully be updated in the future, the rules and regulations for domestic dog and pet owners are set to be implemented on September 29th.
In Conclusion…
To summarize, here are the things every pet owner in Spain must do by the end of September:
- Complete a training course
- Obtain civil liability insurance for each pet
- Learn the new standards for proper animal care and follow them
Leave a Reply