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Date Published: 14/10/2021

ARCHIVED - Mandatory training for dog owners in Spain: everything you need to know

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The new Animal Protection Law establishes that it is mandatory for dog owners in Spain to have passed a training course

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Mandatory training for dog owners in Spain: everything you need to know

The new Animal Protection Law being introduced in Spain proposes a multitude of obligations and prohibitions aimed at ensuring the rights of companion pets and limiting the abandonment and sacrifice of animals. Social media has lit up with conflicting opinions on the pioneering legislation, with the most controversial measure seeming to be the requirement for dog owners to take a training course to ensure that they are responsible masters.

So, what exactly does the law say about this training course?

Specifically, Article 36 of the Animal Protection Law states that an owner or person responsible for a dog must pass an accredited training course that will be determined by the new regulations. In addition, all owners will be required to take out civil liability insurance for their pets, and the law also stipulates that dogs may not be left alone for more than 24 hours.

The aim of the training course is to ensure that owners have the correct knowledge to properly care for their canine companions in the areas of handling and behaviour.

What will the training course entail?

According to the general director of Animal Rights, Sergio Garcia Torres, the training requirement shouldn’t prove to be too much of an inconvenience. It will simply be a short, online course, much like the food handling training currently required by hospitality establishments, and it will be completely free of charge. Mr Torres explained that the course is intended to establish a “framework of civility” around dog ownership that will teach people the importance of behaviours such as picking up after their pet on the street.

What other measures are covered by the Animal Protection Law?

With the new legislation, the Spanish government is doubling down on its goal of making this country “zero sacrifice”, something which animal activists have welcomed. The law means that euthanasia will only be permitted in extreme cases, where the pet is gravely ill and cannot be cured. From now on in Spain, animal shelters will not be allowed to put dogs to sleep due to overcrowding, and in general, unwanted behaviour that could plausibly be changed with correct training and education will not be considered grounds for putting an animal down.

Congress has also approved a change to the Civil Code which grants judges the power to deny joint custody to a parent who has been charged with an animal abuse offence. In addition, recognising animals as “living beings endowed with sensitivity”, pet shops in Spain will no longer be allowed to sell animals (with the exception of fish), while the law has introduced stringent measures to regulate legal dog breeding in an attempt to crack down on unethical ‘backyard breeders’.

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