Animal rights groups and pet store owners marched in separate demonstrations on Sunday to protest a new animal welfare law proposed by the Spanish government that seeks to promote the protection of animal rights.
The bill has fueled criticism from animal rights groups after a last-minute amendment excluded hunting dogs from the protection of the law, meeting the demands of hunting lobbyists.
Under the slogan “same dogs, same law,” thousands marched in Madrid and dozens of other Spanish cities in coordinated demonstrations to urge the government to restore the hunting dog law, which raises fines for animal abuse to $216,000 and introduces a possible double year in prison for the most serious cases.
FLORIDA CAT GIVEN BY HIS OWNER FOR BEING ‘TOO CLOUDY’ FINDS A NEW HOME
People protest against the exclusion of some animals in the new animal protection law, Madrid, Spain, on February 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul White)
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The abandonment of thousands of greyhounds at the end of each hunting season has gained social attention in recent years in Spain, where the adoption of these animals as pets has gained notoriety as awareness of the harsh conditions that many of them face. endure in the field. . Greyhounds are used to hunt animals such as rabbits and pheasants.
The spokesman for the ‘No hunting’ platform, David Rubio, has pointed out that Spain is not only the only country in Europe that allows hunting with dogs, but also holds the record for the most abandoned dogs in the EU.
A few streets away, pet store owners protested, saying they will be forced to close their businesses under the new law because it only allows licensed breeders to sell cats, dogs and ferrets. Thousands of jobs will be lost, they say, and the black market for pets and exotic animals will grow.
