Spain enacts Animal Welfare Law restricting pet confinement and sales

Spain's Animal Welfare Law, which came into force in September 2023, recognises companion animals as sentient beings and sets nationwide standards for their care. Key provisions include a limit of 24 hours of unsupervised solitude for dogs (three days for cats), a ban on permanent residence of pets in balconies, terraces, sheds or similar spaces, and a requirement that owners keep animals integrated into the family home. The law also mandates that pet sales may only occur through officially registered breeders and that adoption must be handled by accredited shelters, with micro‑chip identification and sterilisation contracts. Assistance dogs are granted unrestricted access to all public and private spaces, while hospitality venues may refuse animals only if they display a clear external sign.

In a related case, a Galician court in Vigo upheld a condominium’s internal rule that forbids pets, ruling that the national law does not automatically override community statutes. The decision confirmed that homeowners’ associations can lawfully impose pet bans when justified by coexistence, hygiene or general interest considerations, despite the broader protections introduced by the Animal Welfare Law.