Requirement to take out pet dog insurance as part of Spain's new animal welfare law is delayed

The requirement to take out pet dog insurance as part of Spain's new animal welfare law will not come into affect on 29 September as planned. Although that was the date set when it was due to enter into force, the political situation in Spain has forced a change.

The Directorate General for Animal Rights, which is part of the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2023, has issued a circular stating that the compulsory civil liability insurance for pet dogs will be postponed until a regulation is approved to develop the law. This insurance policy will covers damage that canines can cause to third parties, whether to property, another animal or a person. Once implemented, it will have to be complied with by the owners of more than nine million pet dogs estimated to exist in Spain, according to the Afaac association.

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The new animal welfare law aims to promote protection and prevent animal abandonment. The law includes the requirement to have liability insurance for all pet breeds. Previously this was compulsory only for breeds considered potentially dangerous and in some regions.

In addition, the new regulation also requires the undertaking of a "responsible ownership" course by dog handlers for certain breeds.

The law promoted by the Minister for Social Rights, Ione Belarra, was approved in March in the Congress of Deputies. It also stipulates that euthanasia of animals will only be carried out in very specific circumstances and to avoid animal suffering. There will also be a control on animal breeding and responsible adoption will be encouraged.

Hunting dogs will not be covered by the new regulations.