PROTESTS were held in 44 cities across Spain on Sunday over hunting dogs being excluded from the new animal welfare law which Congress will vote on this Thursday.
Hundreds of people gathered in Barcelona’s Arc de Triunf and in Madrid’s Plaza de Callao.
They’re angry that the welfare measure was watered down last autumn to exclude animals involved in traditional rural hunting activities.
The PSOE-led government made changes to the bill amidst fears that it could cost it rural backing in this year’s local and national elections.
Dogs are used to track or catch animals such as deer, wild boar and rabbits, with the hunting industry, according to Deloitte, generating over €5 billion each year.
President of animal rights group Pacma, Javier Luna, said: “The PSOE’s proposal is nonsense as you cannot differentiate some dogs from others.”
“Society demands better treatment for animals,” he told protestors in Madrid.
Leader of the left-wing Mas Pais party, Iñigo Errejon, said: “The PSOE has given in to lobbying and we ask to them to reconsider as all dogs have to have the same rights.”
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