Spain presents a complex picture of animal welfare — a country with deep cultural traditions involving animals (bullfighting, hunting, working horses) alongside a rapidly modernizing legal framework and a growing public movement for animal protection. The landmark 2023 Animal Welfare Law represents Spain's most significant step toward comprehensive animal protection, though implementation faces challenges and notable exclusions remain.
2023Year Spain enacted its landmark national Animal Welfare Law
~400KAnimals abandoned in Spain annually — one of EU's highest rates
The 2023 Animal Welfare Law: A Landmark Reform
Spain enacted Ley 7/2023 de protección de los derechos y el bienestar de los animales (Law 7/2023 on the protection of animal rights and welfare) — the most comprehensive animal welfare legislation in Spanish history:
Key Provisions
- Recognition of animals as sentient beings: Explicitly declares animals to have feelings and the ability to suffer
- Companion animal ownership requirements: Pet owners required to register animals, provide veterinary care, and demonstrate responsible ownership
- Sterilization requirements: Stray and shelter animals to be sterilized before adoption; reduces abandonment cycle
- Ban on abandonment: Strengthened penalties for abandoning companion animals (up to 18 months imprisonment)
- Pet shop reforms: Restrictions on impulse purchase of animals; cooling-off periods; banning sale of animals from factory-farmed breeders
- Wild animals as pets: Restrictions on keeping wild animals as pets
- Training prohibitions: Bans use of certain painful training devices (prong collars, electric shock collars)
Major Exclusion: Bullfighting
The law explicitly excludes bullfighting (tauromachia) and other traditional animal spectacles recognized as cultural heritage by regional governments. This exemption was politically necessary for passage but was widely criticized by animal welfare advocates.
Farm Animal Exclusions
Farm animals are largely governed by existing EU regulations rather than the new national law. The 2023 law does not substantially change conditions for pigs, poultry, or other farm animals.
Assessment: The 2023 law represents real progress, particularly for companion animals. The exclusion of bullfighting and limited coverage of farm animals are significant limitations, but the law's recognition of animal sentience establishes an important legal foundation for future reform.
Bullfighting: Cultural Heritage vs. Animal Welfare
Bullfighting (corrida de toros) is Spain's most internationally debated animal welfare issue:
The Practice
- A traditional spectacle in which bulls are fought and typically killed by matadors
- The process involves multiple phases: picadors on horseback lance the bull; banderilleros place barbed sticks; the matador then fights and kills the animal
- The bull typically experiences significant blood loss and physical trauma before being killed
- An estimated 40,000 bulls killed in bullfights annually in Spain
Legal Status
- Bullfighting is protected as a form of cultural heritage under Spanish national law
- In 2013, the Spanish parliament declared bullfighting a national cultural asset
- Several regional governments (Catalonia, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands) have banned bullfighting — Catalonia's ban was upheld by Spain's Constitutional Court in 2016 after the national parliament tried to override it
- The Balearic Islands ban young people under 18 from attending bullfights
Changing Public Opinion
Support for bullfighting has declined significantly among the Spanish public:
- Surveys consistently show majority opposition to bullfighting among Spaniards under 35
- Attendance at bullfights has declined significantly over 20 years; many venues operate at low capacity
- Financial subsidies for bullfighting events have become politically controversial
- Several Spanish cities have declared themselves "anti-bullfighting cities" (ciudades antitaurinas)
Trajectory: While bullfighting retains legal protection and passionate defenders, demographic trends strongly suggest long-term decline. The question for advocates is whether legislative change or cultural change will drive its eventual end.
Farm Animal Welfare
Pig Farming
Spain is the largest pig producer in the EU by number of animals:
- Over 30 million pigs at any time; concentrated in industrial systems
- EU minimum welfare standards apply; gestation crates used within legal limits
- Growing export market for premium pork (Ibérico products) involves some higher-welfare production under different management systems
- Ibérico pigs raised in dehesa (traditional oak woodland pasture) represent a genuinely higher-welfare system — though a minority of total production
Poultry
- Large broiler and laying hen sectors; primarily intensive production
- Cage-free egg commitments from major Spanish retailers driving market shift
- Spain is one of the EU's largest egg producers
Horses
Spain has a strong equestrian culture:
- Doma vaquera (traditional Spanish horsemanship) and other practices have attracted welfare scrutiny
- Horse-drawn carriages in cities (notably Seville) have been subject to welfare campaigns; some restrictions implemented
- Carriage horse welfare ordinances passed in several cities
Companion Animal Issues
The Abandonment Problem
Spain has one of Europe's highest companion animal abandonment rates — a core driver of the 2023 law:
- An estimated 300,000–400,000 animals abandoned annually
- Shelters chronically overcrowded; some regions practice euthanasia for healthy animals
- Holiday abandonment is a documented seasonal peak
The 2023 Law's Impact on Companion Animals
- Mandatory registration and microchipping requirements
- Required civil liability insurance for certain dog breeds
- Ban on leaving dogs tied up outside for extended periods
- Restrictions on certain breed-specific regulations (some BSL provisions modified)
Greyhound (Galgo) Welfare
The treatment of Spanish greyhounds (galgos) has been a major welfare issue receiving international attention:
- Traditionally used for hunting; historically discarded or killed at end of hunting season
- International rescue organizations have highlighted mass abandonment and killing of galgos
- The 2023 law strengthens protections against animal abandonment that directly benefit galgos
- Spanish galgo rescue organizations report improvement in recent years as penalties increase
Marine Animals
- Spain is a major fishing nation; welfare of captured fish is governed by EU regulations with limited enforcement
- Tuna fishing (including bluefin tuna) is a significant industry; welfare at slaughter receiving increasing attention
- Octopus farming: Spain is a world leader in developing octopus aquaculture; significant welfare concerns given octopus intelligence and complex welfare needs
Octopus farming concern: A Spanish company announced plans to open the world's first commercial octopus farm. Given strong evidence of octopus sentience (recognized in UK law), welfare advocates have raised significant concerns about farming highly intelligent, solitary animals in intensive conditions.
Civil Society and Reform Momentum
- AnimaNaturalis: Major Spanish animal rights organization; campaigns on bullfighting, fur, and farm animals
- Equalia: Focuses on farm animal welfare; corporate campaigns and investigations
- Igualdad Animal (Animal Equality Spain): Affiliate of global organization; investigations and corporate campaigns
- AVATMA (Association of Veterinarians Against Bullfighting): Veterinary professional organization opposing bullfighting on welfare grounds
Social trend: Spain has a rapidly growing vegan and plant-based food movement — particularly in cities like Madrid and Barcelona. Plant-based restaurant options have grown dramatically. Cultural attitudes toward animals, particularly among under-35s, have shifted significantly from even a decade ago.