What it is
Bill would toughen penalties for animal abuse and abandonment
Admitted step 2 of 7 · UnfinishedIt is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 5 July 2019. Introduced by: Grupo Parlamentario Confederal de Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común.
Official title: Private member's bill for an Organic Law amending the Penal Code in matters of animal abuse.
Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000024· updated 11 Nov
Automatic summary, not yet reviewed
- The bill would extend criminal protection to vertebrate animals, including wild ones, which are currently excluded, and would replace the crime of sexual exploitation with sexual abuse.
- It would raise the penalties for the basic offense of animal abuse: prison from six months to two years and six months, plus a special disqualification of two to six years.
- It would expand the list of aggravating circumstances, adding new ones such as using another animal to cause injuries, abuse by the person responsible for the animal, organized crime, or profit-seeking activity. In those cases, penalties would be imposed in the upper half of the range, along with permanent loss of ownership or possession of the animal.
- If the animal dies, the prison sentence would be two years and one day to three years, with a special disqualification of four to six years.
- Cruel treatment of a vertebrate animal or any other animal in an unauthorized show would carry prison of three months to one year, and abandonment in dangerous conditions would carry prison of three months to one year.
- It would create a new penalty: permanent loss of ownership and/or possession of the animal victim of abuse, so the animal does not end up back with the abuser.
Words worth knowing
- Tipo básico (basic offense)
- The simplest description of the criminal conduct, without aggravating or special circumstances.
- Inhabilitación especial (special disqualification)
- A penalty that bars the convicted person from practicing a profession, trade or business, or from owning animals, for a period of time.
- Circunstancia agravante (aggravating circumstance)
- A detail that makes the crime more serious and increases the penalty, such as using weapons or acting in front of a minor.
- Decomiso (forfeiture)
- A measure by which the judge takes away the object or animal connected to the crime from the convicted person.
- Proposición de ley (bill)
- A text introduced by members of Congress to become law. It is not law until it is passed.
It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries
Where it stands
How far did it get?
It took 2 of 7 steps. It reached Admitted, and today it is unfinished.
- Introduced5 July 2019Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
- Admitted11 July 2019The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
- Amendmentsnot reachedGroups propose changes.
- Committeenot reachedA committee goes through the text in detail.
- Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
- Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
- BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 5 official steps on a timeline
Was there a plenary vote?
We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.
What happens next
What happens now?
The legislature ended before it finished. To go on, someone would have to introduce it again in the new Cortes.
It has not been presented again yet.
Sources
Where does all this come from?
- Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000024
Official title, type, author, dates and stage.
Retrieved 11 November 2026
- The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
- Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
- We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.