Andalucía Law of
Animal Protection

Owners' Obligations

The owner of the animals have the obligation
to keep the animals -

- In good sanitary and hygienic conditions

- In accommodation adequate for the size
and breed

- Provide the feeding necessary for their normal development

- Provide personal identification within three months after their birth

- Provide obligatory injections and treatment
for their health

Dogs should wear a collar and lead and always
be controlled by their owners in public places.

Excrement left by animals should be removed
from public places.

Prohibited Activities

Mistreatment of or physical aggression towards animals.
(Fines imposed may range from €75 - €30,000)

Abandoning animals
(Fines from €2,000 to €30,000)

Keeping animals permanently chained
(Fines from €500 to €3,000)

Using animals as prizes in fairs or tombolas 
(Fines from €500 to €2,000€)

Dog and cock fighting
(Fines from €2,000 to €30,000)

Keeping animals in places where they cause inconvenience or a nuisance to other people
(Fines from €75 to €500)

Selling animals illegally, and selling animals to purchasers less than 16 years of age. 
(Fines from €500 to €2,000)

Exploitation of working animals.
(Fines €500 to €2,000)

Leaving poison in public places. 
(Fines from €2,000 to €30,000)

Ley de Protección
de los Animales de Andalucia

Obligaciones

Los propietarios de animales tienen la
obligación de mantenerlos: -

- En buenas condiciones higiénico-sanitarias

- En alojamiento adecuado según la raza o especie

- Facilitarle la alimentación necesaria para
su
normal desarrollo.

- Identificación individual dentro del plazo máximo
de tres meses desde su nacimiento

- Realizar las vacunaciones o tratamientos obligatorios para la salud del animal

Los perros deben ir sujetos por una correa,
siempre conducidos por sus propietarios en
las vías espacios públicos

La recogida de los excrementos de los
animales en las vías publicas

Prohibiciones:

Maltratar o agredir físicamente a los animales. (multas de €75 -30,000)

El abandono de animales
(multas de €2,000 – 30,000)

Mantenerlos siempre atados 
(multas de €500 – 3,000)

Utilizarlos como premio en ferias y tómbolas
(multas de €500 - 2,000)

Las peleas de perros y gallos
(multas de €2,000 -  30,000)

Mantener animales en lugares donde
ocasionen molestias a los vecinos 
(multas de €75 - 500)

La venta ambulante e ilegal,
la venta a menores de dieciséis años.
(multas de €500 - 2,000)

Explotarlos en su trabajo
(multas de €500 - 2,000)

Depositar veneno en espacios y lugares públicos.    (multas de €2,000 - 30,000) 

REPORTING CRUELTY

If you want to report ‘cruelty to animals’
you will need to provide answers to the questions listed.

WE DO RECOMMEND that you contact your local Town Hall and or Seprona (Guardia Civil) in cases of abandonment and of ill treatment

In our experience all it takes is a warning to the animals’ owners from either one of these institutions to resolve the problem.

1. Type of animal e.g. Dog, Horse …

2. Have you witnessed ill treatment?

3. How long have you been witnessing ill treatment?

4. At what times of day or night?

5. What is the animal’s physical condition?

6. Does the animal have shelter from the sun and rain?

7. Have you seen it being fed?

8. Does it have water?

9. Does it have any other type of shelter e.g. Trees?

10. Is it permanently tied up?

11. Does it live with people and/or animals?

12. Is it in Rustic land, Urban land or City?

13. Have you consulted a professional Vet? 

14. Have you taken photos or videos of what has happened to the animal?

15. Would you be willing to be called as a witness?

16. Which official body have you contacted: e.g. Local Town Hall or Seprona (Guardia Civil).

17. Address where the animal is located.

18. Name of an address of animal owner if known?

19. Your personal details: Name: Address:

E-mail:

Telephone:

N.I. or Passport number:

PETS - Taking animals to another Country. 

Regulations regarding the carriage of animals are complex and vary from country to country and airline to airline. You are advised to contact the authorities in the destination country, as well as seeking advice from your airline or a specialist pet travel agency, before planning your journey.
Airlines
Airlines will only carry animals if arrangements have been made in advance, as space is often limited. There are two options and your airline will be able to tell you which services they are able to offer:

• Accompanied baggage – most airlines will accept animals as accompanied baggage providing they are in a suitable container. They will travel in the baggage compartment where a suitable environment can be maintained (note: animals arriving in the UK may only do so as manifested air cargo).
• Air cargo – owners can arrange for their animals to travel as air cargo without making the journey themselves.

Charges
These vary depending on the length of the journey, the weight of the animal and the size of the container. Your airline should be able to give you an estimate of the costs.

Journey planning
It is advisable to avoid arriving at some airports at weekends when inspection staff may not be on duty. Other than Heathrow and Gatwick airports, very few airports have reception centres where animals can be released and cared for until inspection is possible.

Taking pets out of the UK
You must comply with the requirements of the destination country. Some will only require an export health certificate, some will need proof of vaccination and others will require you to obtain an import permit. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) operates an export helpline on  +44 (0)20 7904 6347  +44 (0)20 7904 6347 or Fax +44 (0)20 7904 6395.

Arrival into the UK
Except for dogs and cats from specific countries that can comply with the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme, all pets will be required to undergo a period of quarantine. Arrangements must be made and confirmed before the journey commences.

Pet Travel Scheme (PETS)
Dogs and cats are now able to travel from a number of countries to the UK without the need to undergo six months' quarantine provided they meet certain requirements. Only carriers approved by Defra may carry animals into the UK on specific routes.
To be considered for entry under the Pet Travel Scheme, a pet will have to meet the following conditions:

• It must be microchipped with an electronic chip.
• After it has been microchipped it must be vaccinated against rabies.
• After vaccination, a blood sample must be tested at a Defra-approved laboratory. The blood test result must show that the vaccine has been effective. A pet may not enter the UK until six months after the date the blood sample was taken which led to a successful test result.
• The pet must be accompanied by an official PETS certificate signed by a vet approved by the government of the country concerned, certifying that the above requirements have been met.
• Between 24 and 48 hours before being checked in to travel to the UK, your pet must be treated against ticks and tapeworm. This will also have to be recorded on an official certificate of treatment signed by a vet.
• Pets travelling from a non-European PETS country (and from Cyprus via Turkey) must travel in a sealed container.
• You will be required to sign a declaration that the pet has been resident in one of the eligible countries for the past six months.

More information on this scheme can be found at www.defra.gov.u

Preparations
It is important that, in addition to the health and documentation requirements, your animal travels in a suitable container which must be well ventilated and large enough that the animal can stand up, lie down and turn around freely. No part of the animal is allowed to protrude from the carrier and it should be secure and leakproof. Airlines and specialist agents should be able to advise you on obtaining such a container. Sedation is not recommended as the effects of the drugs and altitude are not predictable.

Assistance dogs
Guide and hearing dogs qualify for the scheme and must meet the same requirements. Some airlines permit them to travel in the cabin.

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a disease that mainly affects domestic dogs. In humans it is called Kala-Azar which is the Indian for black fever. It is carried by a small, yellow sand fly that resembles a mosquito and is around two to three millimetres long. Mediterranean countries are severely affected by this disease. It is said that the fly carrying the disease does not bite at sea level, only at altitude - but the altitude at which they bite is not high. Any question about the area can be addressed to the local ayuntamiento (town hall) or vet.

Typically the fly bites the exposed skin of the dog (nose and ears). Dogs can incubate Leishmaniasis for over a year before displaying symptoms, which vary from dog to dog. One clue is when the hair around a dog's eyes drops out and claws grow abnormally. Infected animals will lose weight, become anaemic and often display symptoms of renal failure. If medical help is not sought, the dog will die after several months.

There are products (available from vets) that can protect against the bite if applied regularly and should be used to protect against this disease from spring to autumn, when the risk is highest. Also cattle pest control badges are said to protect against the bites, but the best protection is to keep a dog inside from before dusk until after dawn, the time when the flies are most active.

• Further, comprehensive, information on canine Leishmaniasis: Click here
• Leishmanasis from the World Health Organisation (WHO): Click here

DANGEROUS FOOD FOR YOUR DOG
Grapes and raisins, although healthy and popular snacks for people, can cause serious health problems in dogs. Although the exact reason why they're toxic remains unknown, even small doses can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, and abdominal pain and can lead to kidney damage and even kidney failure. After ingesting these fruits, dogs show increased levels of nitrogen, creatinine, and phosphorous in their blood, which indicates impaired kidney function. If your dog succeeds in sneaking any of these snacks, a swift trip to the vet can offset potentially serious health complications. 

ANDALUCÍA HAS THE WORST RECORD IN SPAIN FOR ABANDONING PET DOGS WITH A TOTAL OF 15,000 PER ANNUM, 12,000 OF WHICH ARE DUMPED IN THE PROVINCE OF MÁLAGA.

Every year 50,000 dogs are abandoned in Spain. Many of those dogs will have been welcomed into the home as cute Christmas gifts only to be dumped when the holiday season arrives.

However whilst people abandon their pets in large numbers, there seems to have been a change in the past 10 years in just how they dispose of their unwanted pooches.

According to Alberto Díez, spokesman for the Asociación Nacional para la Defensa de los Animales (ANDA), fewer dogs are now abandoned on the streets. Sr Díez says owners prefer to rid themselves of their dogs 'with a clean conscience' and take them to animal rescue societies. Nonetheless Sr Díez stresses that 'the animals suffer'.

A BURDEN AT HOLIDAY TIME
Sr Díez points out that the highest figures for abandoning dogs occur in urban areas.
The major crisis is during the summer months when families go on holiday and dump their pets rather than taking them with them or placing them in boarding kennels.
Another peak period is at the end of March when the hunting season ends and many hunters abandon their dogs in rural areas.

Alberto Díez continued: "In Spain it is very simple to obtain a dog.
There are no established norms as to ownership and when they are maltreated or abandoned the penalties never supersede more than 20,000 pesetas, when the law can reach a sanction of two million pesetas."

IS STERILISATION THE ANSWER?
ANDA is keen to promote a programme of sterilisation in Spain. Sr Díez pointed out that the majority of abandoned dogs are batches of puppies, which their owners no longer want to keep. He added: "In the rest of Europe they have now solved this problem by massive sterilisation which is much cheaper than here where prices are astronomical".

One of the oldest animal rescue societies in Spain can be found in Cádiz.
The protection society for plants and animals was founded in 1872. It started protecting plants but as the years passed by it also took abandoned animals into its care.

The society now has a 5,000 square metre kennel complex with 20 units equipped with kennels and feeding areas.