Spanish animal welfare legislative advocacy

The Animalist Party with the Environment (PACMA) initiated a national mobilization across thirteen Spanish cities, including León, Madrid, and Barcelona, to demand legal protections for hunting, guarding, and herding dogs. The group’s slogan, ‘Hunting dogs: include them in the law now!’, reflects their demand that the central government modify the Animal Welfare Law and the Royal Decree on Zoological Nuclei to ensure protection is not contingent on an animal’s economic utility.

Following demonstrations in cities such as San Sebastián, animal welfare advocates have intensified their calls for legislative reform. Spokesperson Asier Esparza criticized previous amendments that excluded working and hunting dogs from legal protections, characterizing such moves as concessions to the hunting sector.

In a separate but related effort, over fifty organizations and experts have petitioned the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food to advocate for reforms to European regulations regarding the transport of live animals. This initiative seeks to improve conditions by reducing travel times and increasing space to protect animals from extreme temperatures.