# Spain joins countries making pets legal family members



## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Spain now legally considers pets members of the family - but what about the UK? - Nottinghamshire Live (nottinghampost.com)

Excerpt:

From January 5, 2022, dogs and other pets will no longer be considered as ‘objects’ but rather as ‘sentient beings’ in the court of law - meaning they have the capacity to experience feelings and emotions.
It follows a case in October, when a Madrid judge gave an unmarried couple joint custody of their pet dog. The dog spends a month with each of them and both are legally responsible.

Following the law, owners must “guarantee” the pet’s well-being, and if either spouse has a history of cruelty to animals, they may be refused or lose custody of the pet.


The change marks Spain joining a growing list of countries in recognising animals as sentient beings.

Other European countries that recognise animals as sentient beings include France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Portugal.



In the UK, the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill is currently awaiting report stage in the House of Lords.

...The legislation will ensure the government considers how all its policies affect the welfare of sentient animals.


The Bill underpins the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which launched last year and sets out the government’s plans to improve standards and eradicate cruel practices for animals both domestically and internationally.

Animal Welfare minister Lord Goldsmith spoke of the Bill: “The UK has always led the way on animal welfare and now that we’ve left the EU we are free to drive for the highest standards of animal welfare anywhere in the world.

“Formally recognising in law that animals are sentient and experience feelings in the same way humans do is just the first step in our flagship Action Plan for Animal Welfare which will further transform the lives of animals in this country and strengthen our position as global leader.”

! Spanish News Today - Pets In Spain Become Legal Members Of The Family
Additional info here


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Wow, wish we had that law here. Kudos to Spain.


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## curlflooffan (Mar 27, 2020)

In Belgium its against the law for a landlord to have a no pet clause because it violates a person right to a family. The landlord can pht reasonable restrictions on what kind of pet though.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

This is interesting from the perspective of both emergency planning and also domestic abuse prevention. One of the issues during hurricane Katrina was that emergency planning hadn't accounted for the fact that people would refuse to abandon their pets. The same holds true for domestic abuse; abusers often use the pet as a lever against the victim, and victims often refuse to leave if it means abandoning the pet.


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## Happy'sDad (Jul 4, 2020)

curlflooffan said:


> In Belgium its against the law for a landlord to have a no pet clause because it violates a person right to a family. The landlord can pht reasonable restrictions on what kind of pet though.


I'm not sure about Belgium, but some European countries have significant restrictions on certain breeds. If I'm not mistaken, some breeds may be illegal to own. How would this law apply to them? I'm not trying to start a debate, just curious if this law provides equal protection/recognition. Then again, maybe it has no bearing at all.


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## curlflooffan (Mar 27, 2020)

Happy'sDad said:


> I'm not sure about Belgium, but some European countries have significant restrictions on certain breeds. If I'm not mistaken, some breeds may be illegal to own. How would this law apply to them? I'm not trying to start a debate, just curious if this law provides equal protection/recognition. Then again, maybe it has no bearing at all.


Yes Belgium has breed restrictions. Not sure if there are any completely banned but there are special regulations for how to keep them, register them etc. I think a landlord can have breed restrictions. They can put a limit on what kind of pet you have but they cant have a complete ban on all pets.


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## Nana06 (Oct 18, 2021)

Happy'sDad said:


> I'm not sure about Belgium, but some European countries have significant restrictions on certain breeds. If I'm not mistaken, some breeds may be illegal to own. How would this law apply to them? I'm not trying to start a debate, just curious if this law provides equal protection/recognition. Then again, maybe it has no bearing at all.


Hiya, I just read the regulation so that I could answer. So unlike some other europeans countries, no breeds are completely illegal to own in Belgium if you (1) are over 18 and (2) have not been to prison. 

However, when it comes to renting your flat you might be able to refuse people with these dogs due to their energy level/size if your property is "not appropriate" for this specific breed. If that's contested, a judge would intervene most probably with a vet/ behaviouralist expert witness to determine if that's really the case or not. 

The 4 breeds are:

American Staffordshire Terrier;
Staffordshire Terrier;
Mastiff;
Tosa.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

This is where the UK is currently in the process.


https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2867



Scroll down to bottom of page.


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