So many people own a dog in Spain that there are more dogs than children under the age of 15. In fact, there are an estimated 13 million pets registered in the country and around one-quarter of all Spanish households have one or more.

But if you want to become a dog owner, the situation is about to change. You can now no longer just contact a shelter and adopt a dog or buy one from a breeder, without going through a special training course first.

Spain’s Council of Ministers approved on August 1st, in the second round of the Animal Rights Law, a pioneering rule to guarantee the welfare of animals within a common legal framework.  

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The law seeks to put an end to the mistreatment, abandonment, and sacrifice of animals and promotes responsible ownership and coexistence with animals, as well as establishing a set of obligations for pet owners.  

One of the most talked about parts of the law is the test that owners will need to go through in order to be able to buy or adopt a dog.

The accredited training course will be mandatory in order to guarantee that you are able to take care of your dog properly.  

The law states that all dogs must be “easy to keep in captivity” or that their accommodation must “meet the conditions so that they can adequately develop their basic physiological, ethological and ecological needs”.  The law also prohibits the ownership of “dangerous dog breeds”.  

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What will the new course to own a dog entail?

The course will be online, free and simple.

General director of Animal Rights, Sergio García Torres said: “We are talking about a short training course. It’s very similar to courses that food handlers take to work in restaurants. It’s a free course that is done online and is relatively easy”, he said.

As part of the course, you will also have to take out civil liability insurance, in order to protect third parties, and must agree that you will not leave your dog alone at home for more than 24 hours or locked up on a balcony, terrace or patio. 

In the case of other pets, such as cats, they will not be allowed to be left alone for more than three days. 

García Torres indicated that course will promote responsible dog ownership, by trying to eliminate behaviours such as not picking up dog poo in the streets, for example. 

In addition, both the owner and the pet must pass a “test to assess their aptitude to function in the social sphere,” according to the bill. However, it remains to be seen whether this test must be passed by all dogs and what form it will take.

What else does the new law cover?

Another of the most relevant and significant aspects of this new animal law is the “zero sacrifice” clause. This means that pets will not be allowed to be killed for reasons to do with overpopulation, money, lack of space, not being able to find a home, old age, illness (if it’s treatable), or behavioural problems that can be fixed. 

To prevent the abandonment of animals, the bill also prohibits pet breeding, except for registered professionals, as well as the sale of cats, dogs and ferrets in pet stores.

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“This law allows us to move in the right direction. Its measures are supported by between 80 and 90 percent of the population. It’s a law of common sense and that brings us more in line with the rest of Europe,” said the Minister for Social Rights Ione Belarra. 

Specifically, she hopes that it will put an end to “the very serious problem” of animal abuse. The minister stressed that those who do abuse animals could face up to 36 months in prison.

In January 2022 a new law in Spain took effect recognising pets as “sentient beings” for the first time.