# Proposed Law Against Euthanising (Killing) Abandoned Dogs and Cats



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I've seen a piece on Facebook which says that Madrid Regional Junta is proposing a law forbidding shelters and pounds to euthanize abandoned or stray cats and dogs after the ten day no claim period.
It seems this law is already on the statute book in Catalonia.
Can you give us more info on this, PW, or Chopera, or any Madrileno?


Memo to self: e-mail S.Diaz re similar for Andalucia.

ADANA Estepona euthanizes only when necessary to end suffering and only on a vet's say-so and the procedure carried out by our vet.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Dont know anything about it but a very welcome move IMHO


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I don't like to think of healthy animals being killed, but given the sheer numbers involved, if homes cannot be found for all of them, and euthanasia is not an option, then what happens when all the refuges are full and overflowing?

If this law is to be adopted I think it should also be compulsory for owners to have their dogs and cats castrated/spayed if they don't intend to breed from them.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> I don't like to think of healthy animals being killed, but given the sheer numbers involved, if homes cannot be found for all of them, and euthanasia is not an option, then what happens when all the refuges are full and overflowing?
> 
> If this law is to be adopted I think it should also be compulsory for owners to have their dogs and cats castrated/spayed if they don't intend to breed from them.


Yes.. and I forgot to add, that is also in the proposed law.

We rarely if ever turn away an abandoned or stray dog. We work hard to find foster carers or permanent homes for our dogs, not only in Spain but all over Europe and even North America.
Currently we have the lowest number of dogs in our perrera we've had for years.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

It's way too soon to introduce such a law in Andalucia. It would just lead to more unwanted animals being dumped in the campo or on motorways. Country people generally don't neuter their animals, for many reasons not just cost. For example, for males they believe it reduces their effectiveness as guard dogs or for hunting, and females produce puppies they can sell.

Things are changing though, thank goodness. Give it another 20 years and a lot of public awareness campaigns in the meantime.


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

It would be wonderful if an addition to the new law, the government would find irresponsible owners guilty of neglect and cruelty to animals and impose heavy fines, and possible imprisonment. The government could set up the Spanish equivalent of the RSPCA, and also protect Bulls, no more inhumane bull fights, this should be filed into past history! Bull fighters fancy costumes could be put into a museum, or used for Passé doble dancing only, O' Leh!
There are many very kind animal loving Spaniards, who would be happy to have a job with an RSPCA type set up here.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Lynn R said:


> I don't like to think of healthy animals being killed, but given the sheer numbers involved, if homes cannot be found for all of them, and euthanasia is not an option, then what happens when all the refuges are full and overflowing?
> 
> If this law is to be adopted I think it should also be compulsory for owners to have their dogs and cats castrated/spayed if they don't intend to breed from them.


... and to insist (by law) that all pets are chipped so that the owners can be traced and subsequently fined!


Perhaps the (irresponsible) owners should be castrated/spayed!


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

snikpoh said:


> Or better still to insist (by law) that all pets are chipped so that the owners can be traced and subsequently fined!


I thought that was already the case. I said so to our local Jefe de Policia Local at a residents' meeting once, when we (Spanish neighbours as well as me) were complaining about dogs roaming loose in the streets all day, and just got the typical "Si, pero ....." and shoulder shrug response. In other words, yes it's the law but we can't be bothered to enforce it.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Lynn R said:


> I thought that was already the case. I said so to our local Jefe de Policia Local at a residents' meeting once, when we (Spanish neighbours as well as me) were complaining about dogs roaming loose in the streets all day, and just got the typical "Si, pero ....." and shoulder shrug response. In other words, yes it's the law but we can't be bothered to enforce it.


If it is an actual law (and I don't think it is) then it certainly isn't being used or enforced.

We help out with an animal charity and I know for a fact that they don't even own or use a scanner to detect if a pet is chipped. 

Perhaps you're just talking about dogs and not cats as well?

Either way, maybe it's just a regional 'rule'.


BTW - our dog is chipped but we've never got around to putting his details onto a Spanish database - I wonder how many Brits have?


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

mrypg9 said:


> I've seen a piece on Facebook which says that Madrid Regional Junta is proposing a law forbidding shelters and pounds to euthanize abandoned or stray cats and dogs after the ten day no claim period.
> It seems this law is already on the statute book in Catalonia.
> Can you give us more info on this, PW, or Chopera, or any Madrileno?
> 
> ...


I've not heard of this - but then again it wouldn't be widely reported :noidea:


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

snikpoh said:


> If it is an actual law (and I don't think it is) then it certainly isn't being used or enforced.
> 
> We help out with an animal charity and I know for a fact that they don't even own or use a scanner to detect if a pet is chipped.
> 
> ...


From the mundoanimalia.com website:-

"En España, la Comunidad de Madrid fue la primera en obligar a identificar a perros y gatos con el microchip. Poco a poco, otras comunidades autónomas han adoptado las mismas medidas y parece que el control de mascotas es mayor, pero ni de lejos el deseado."

So it is already law in some regions, maybe not all, but I agree that it isn't being enforced.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

It is the law in all ACs now for dogs and cats to be microchipped and registered.
http://www.reiac.es/

Our town hall had a campaign a couple of years ago saying that any un-chipped dog found roaming the streets with no ID would be impounded and put down after seven days. We had major problems with excrement on the pavements, dogs wandering out in front of cars, etc.

It was pretty effective as far more people walk their dogs on leads now. But I've no idea how many dogs were actually put down.

Our feral cats are seen as beneficial because they keep vermin down, but they have very short lives.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> If it is an actual law (and I don't think it is) then it certainly isn't being used or enforced.
> 
> We help out with an animal charity and I know for a fact that they don't even own or use a scanner to detect if a pet is chipped.
> 
> ...


If you have a pet passport (which, legally, you are required to have) the chip will be recorded on the database automatically - it enables your dog to be identified for the purposes of reuniting animal with owner and for penalising the owner for the animals transgressions. Those are both reasons, some malicious cruel b*rst*rds, use a knives or scissors to hack out the chip before dumping the animal.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> *It's way too soon to introduce such a law in Andaluci*a. It would just lead to more unwanted animals being dumped in the campo or on motorways. Country people generally don't neuter their animals, for many reasons not just cost. For example, for males they believe it reduces their effectiveness as guard dogs or for hunting, and females produce puppies they can sell.
> 
> Things are changing though, thank goodness. Give it another 20 years and a lot of public awareness campaigns in the meantime.


Hmm. You've given me something to think about. Our experience at ADANA might not be the same for everyone. Our statutes forbid euthanasia unless for the reasons I said in my first post, though.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> It's way too soon to introduce such a law in Andalucia. It would just lead to more unwanted animals being dumped in the campo or on motorways. Country people generally don't neuter their animals, for many reasons not just cost. For example, for males they believe it reduces their effectiveness as guard dogs or for hunting, and females produce puppies they can sell.
> 
> Things are changing though, thank goodness. Give it another 20 years and a lot of public awareness campaigns in the meantime.


I agree with you. Town people (at least not here) don't seem to neuter their animals either, and when I've asked why (half expecting the answer that it costs money they can't afford) they say it's cruel. Sadly they don't seem to find it cruel to let their bitches have litter after litter of unwanted puppies, or send their children out knocking on doors (including mine) with tiny puppies sometimes just hours old with their eyes not open, when they should never have been taken away from the mother. The ones they can't guilt trip people into taking probably end up being disposed of in far less humane ways than euthanasia at an animal shelter.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> If you have a pet passport (which, legally, you are required to have) the chip will be recorded on the database automatically - it enables your dog to be identified for the purposes of reuniting animal with owner and for penalising the owner for the animals transgressions. Those are both reasons, some malicious cruel b*rst*rds, use a knives or scissors to hack out the chip before dumping the animal.



You've missed my point.

Yes, we have a pet passport for our dog and, of course, he is chipped. However, the chip is registered in a database in UK - it is NOT linked to any other database in any other country (none of the databases are). Also, the information in the UK database is for the address that we used to live at.


So, my point was, I wonder if many have known to re-register there chip in a Spanish database with Spanish contact details.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> You've missed my point.
> 
> Yes, we have a pet passport for our dog and, of course, he is chipped. However, the chip is registered in a database in UK - it is NOT linked to any other database in any other country (none of the databases are). Also, the information in the UK database is for the address that we used to live at.


Sorry but you didn't say. It would certainly be a good idea to get your vet to add him /her in case you become separated at any point especially if you are in a strange place, e.g. on holiday.


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