Spain cracks down on pet shops selling dogs, cats, and ferrets with fines up to €200,000 as new animal welfare law takes effect. Find out how the law changes the sale of pets and what it means for shop owners.
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Spain has unleashed its tough new animal welfare law, and pet shops across the country are already feeling the bite – with some slapped with eye-watering fines of up to €200,000. As of September 29 2024, flogging dogs, cats, and ferrets in pet shops is now strictly off-limits.
Some pet shops are up in arms. This hard-hitting new legislation – officially rolled out in the Official State Gazette (“Boletin Oficial del Estado”) in March 2023 – is finally being enforced to make sure pet shops stop trading in our furry friends unless they’re from registered breeders. But any shops still trying to cash in? They’re in for a rude awakening, with fines starting at a staggering €50,001 and going up to €200,000 in the worst of cases.
12 Months to Clean Up Their Act – Now It’s Payback Time
Pet shops across Spain were given a whole year to get their act together, with a deadline of September 29 to stop selling dogs, cats, and ferrets. But it looks like not everyone got the memo. From now on, shops that don’t play by the rules will be hit with fines that could send them straight to the doghouse.
The new law doesn’t just stop at sales – it demands that every pet sold must come with a properly written contract, and the animals need to be in tip-top shape, with all the jabs and treatments they’re supposed to have by their age. To keep things on the up and up, all sales have to be reported to the Pet Registry (“Registro de Animales de Compañía“) within three working days. No loopholes in sight here.
No More Window Shopping for Pets
Forget those adorable puppies and kittens peering out from pet shop windows – the new law bans the display and exhibition of these animals for commercial purposes. Only registered breeders can sell them now, and anyone else trying to pull a fast one will be in serious trouble. Spain’s crackdown has made it clear: this is all about animal welfare, not profits.
Fines Rolling In – And There’s More to Come
The authorities have already started their inspections, and some shops have been hit with the first round of heavy fines. They’ve been left seething, but the message is loud and clear: if you don’t stop selling pets, you’ll be coughing up big time. These fines are meant to make an example out of rule-breakers and ensure our four-legged friends are getting the care they deserve.
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