PROPERTY SEARCH

Date Published: 01/02/2023

ARCHIVED - Mass demonstrations in 44 Spanish cities this weekend in defence of hunting dogs

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

Animal rights groups are calling for an absolute ban on hunting with dogs in Spain

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Mass demonstrations in 44 Spanish cities this weekend in defence of hunting dogs

In a tradition that’s been going strong throughout Spain since 2010, the NAC Platform (No A la Caza) will take to the streets again this month to protest against hunting. Representatives from hundreds of animal groups will stage protests in 44 cities this coming Sunday, February 5 and this year, the demonstration will have a very particular focus: The Animal Welfare Law.

The nationwide action coincides with the end of the greyhound hunting season, a time at which, according to the group, “more than 50,000 dogs of this breed are discarded each year”.

The controversial Welfare Law will take centre stage though. Politicians have been battling over the legislation for months and the government eventually came down on the side of hunters and decided to exclude working dogs from the regulations. The hunters argue that their dogs can’t be considered domestic animals and so shouldn’t be subject to the same laws, but the debate rages on.

The NAC strenuously disagrees, insisting that the “law must serve to protect all animals equally and, especially, the most vulnerable, harassed, mistreated and abandoned, which are the animals used in hunting activities."

This year’s demonstration promises to be the biggest by far. In addition to towns, villages and cities across Spain, protestors will also flood the streets in Germany, France, Switzerland, Holland and Poland.

Over the last 13 years, the platform has increased its presence to include more than 300 animal protection entities spread across 44 cities in Spain and 14 abroad.

The overall objective of the NAC is a blanket ban on hunting with dogs in order “to end the abandonment, mistreatment and indiscriminate breeding suffered by all these animals”.

See also: Spain increases minimum wage by 8 per cent

Image: NAC

See more news about animals in Spain:

Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin to get a comprehensive email with all the week’s news for Spain, Murcia, Alicante and Andalucía.

Get a sneak peek – here are a few of our recent Subscription Bulletins: