The Balearic government intends initiating legislation to promote the adoption of animals and to ensure that there is "zero sacrifice" of abandoned pets. To mark World Animal Day, the government stated yesterday that advanced societies now consider animals to be the subject of "respect and protection".
In terms of existing law, Spain incorporated the mistreatment and the abandonment of animals into the penal code in 2004. In the Balearics, animal protection legislation was introduced in 1992, and the government has now reiterated its "firm commitment to the defence of animals", noting that during the period of the last administration it introduced new animal welfare legislation. This law, commonly referred to as the "ley de toros", has brought the government into conflict with the Constitutional Court in respect of Balearic provisions to make bullfighting untenable.
The latest initiative will set out a legal framework to facilitate the adoption of abandoned animals and will prohibit their sacrifice except where vets give medical reasons to do so.