Fabienne's Diary: The Spanish animal protection law has been approved .. but the work continues!

Sunday 20 February 2022

As animal lovers, we certainly have our cake and eat it too! But,... The bill has been approved, but the implementation and follow-up will be another matter, I can assure you. The good thing is that the hunting dogs are fortunately included in the law and are no longer considered as just inanimate things! But there will already be a big demonstration in Madrid on 20 March, followed by the rest of Spain, as a counter-reaction by the hunters and farmers who oppose this law with all their might. They do not want to give up their tradition! 

The tradition of gruesome hunting scenes and, when the hunting dogs are no longer useful, these animals are put to a terrible end. From now on, they wouldl no longer be able to breed just like that, they would need a licence to do so, moreover, they would even have to have their dogs sterilised. Dogs would have to be registered. They would no longer be allowed to be chained up day and night. They may no longer put their dogs down or hang them, as if that were the most normal thing in the world. Neglect will be punished, the use of electric, impulse or punishment collars forbidden, as well as the use of closed muzzles that block the respiration. Unfortunately, all this has been quite normal here until now.

From now on, they must follow these rules, which will be very difficult for these people to do. Getting them to sterilise their dogs alone will be very, very difficult. Keepers of cattle will also have to comply with all kinds of conditions from now on, and that will be very difficult because together with the hunters they are the most horrible individuals. The condition in which we often receive their dogs... I could write a book about it.

Farmers and hunters are showing their indignation about the approval by all means possible, because the law still has to be voted on. But we are more than halfway there! We are counting on a slow cultural change, but it will be gradual. The many complaints that are being made to call them to order will now at least be followed up, because the police have to act. 

It is a step in the right direction, but now the implementation.  How many years will that take. Especially since most hunters and keepers are interwoven in the political parties, in hunting and in everything that is not good for any dog here with us. Still it is a step... Ole!!!