Spanish pet industry protests against proposed act on animal welfare
The industry took the streets of Madrid to oppose the new Animal Welfare Act, which draft was recently presented by the central government and includes some provisions regulating pet ownership.
In the demonstration under the motto “In defense of the sector and responsible trade of pets” that took place on January 23rd, the industry raised concerns about the legal insecurities and lack of scientific background of this law that aims to harmonize animal welfare regulations in the country.
If approved, the new law will oblige pet owners to care for the animals, including ensuring a quality living place and hygiene. The draft also establishes that owners must ensure that pets do not do their needs in unauthorized areas and ensure that animals undertake compulsory veterinarian treatments.
Pet owners will also be obliged to take a test to certify that they are prepared and qualified for owning an animal.
The Spanish Association of Distributors of Pet Products (AEDPAC) believes that the market application of this regulation “may spark a domino effect that could be a turning point for the future of the pet care sector.”
“It would prove particularly damaging for pet wholesalers and retailers, as this sector is poised to lose 30% of its turnover in the short-term, forcing many retail operators to close”, warned AEDPAC’s chairman Adolfo Santa Olalla.
Olalla also said that the new law would create an online black market as the demand will continue to exist despite any regulatory change.
The association also believes that this new regulation would set a precedent for implementing similar rules in other European countries.
Similar attempts in Europe
According to the association, the Spanish pet industry generates a turnover of about €2 billion ($2.27B) and around 200,000 jobs.
As stated by Secretary-General of AEDPAC Ignasi Solana Vinyoles, different countries in Europe have made attempts to pass and implement “legislation grounded in an animal activist ideology that runs counter to market experience, scientific knowledge, and the most basic common sense.”
Some examples include France, Belgium (Flanders), The Netherlands and Germany.
“Working in the professional pet care sector entails being particularly rigorous when it comes to implementing current legislation, with animal welfare an intrinsic and essential part of our everyday business activities, he said.
Vinyoles added that for this reason “the overwhelming majority of professionals” favor animal welfare laws that regulate animal traceability and well-being and the quality and sustainability of the materials and products.
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