This Thursday, the Congress of Deputies has approved the Animal Welfare Law. The new law regulates the care of pets and toughens the penalties for animal abuse. One of the main measures it includes is the obligation to take a free course for those who want to have a dog. Besides, It will be mandatory to contract Civil Liability insurance for dogs according to the Animal Welfare Law, regardless of the breed. Until now, insurance was only required for dangerous breeds.
The norma is very clear about it: «In the case of keeping dogs and throughout the life of the animal, the owner must take out and maintain in force civil liability insurance for damages to third parties that includes the persons responsible for the animal in its coverage, for an amount of sufficient amount to defray the possible derived expenses».
Bearing this in mind, one of the main questions is the price of Civil Liability insurance for dogs required by the Animal Welfare Law. This policy covers damage, both material and personal, that the animal may cause to third parties.
Well, it is difficult to give an exact answer since It depends on aspects such as the size or age of the dog.as well as the insurance company. In addition, if it is about dangerous breeds, the cost can be doubled. In general, the price ranges between 30 and 60 euros per year.
News of the Animal Welfare Law
One of the key points is the hardening of penalties for animal abuse. Abandonment could lead to a fine of between 500 and 10,000 euros, which would increase according to the circumstances in which the act was committed. If it were considered ‘serious’, the penalty would range between 10,001 and 50,000 euros, and if it is ‘very serious’ between 50,001 and 200,000 euros.
The Animal Welfare Law will create a National Statistics to centralize all the official data on adoptions, abandonments and abuse. This will help establish which animals can live with people and which cannot.
It also sets the time pets can be alone at home. In the case of dogs, they may not be unattended for more than 24 hours. The rest of the pets can be alone for a maximum of 72 hours.
Vaccination will become mandatory for all pets in order to protect them from diseases. With regard to animal husbandry, it may only be exercised by registered and professional breeders.
