The Atlas/Welfare, Law & Identification/Ley 7/2023 de protección de los derechos y el bienestar de los animales
LawSpain
Ley 7/2023 de protección de los derechos y el bienestar de los animales
Ley 7/2023, de 28 de marzo · Government of Spain
Spain’s wide-ranging 2023 welfare law, which set new national duties for dog owners and closed the retail pet-shop route to selling dogs.
01 What It Is
Ley 7/2023 is Spain’s national law on the protection of the rights and welfare of animals, in force since 29 September 2023. It replaced a patchwork of regional rules with a single national framework for keeping companion animals, dogs included, and set out a series of binding duties on owners and on the businesses that breed and sell them.
02 What It Covers
Owners must complete regulated responsible-ownership training for the species they keep. Commercial breeding is restricted to breeders entered on an official register, and the sale of dogs, cats and ferrets through pet shops is prohibited, leaving registered breeders as the lawful route. The law also bans aversive training equipment, naming electric, impulse, punishment and choke collars.
03 How It Is Checked
The law is enforced by the public authorities through inspection and an administrative penalty regime, with the detailed requirements set out in implementing regulation. It works by prohibition and duty rather than by a certification scheme.
04 Why It Matters
For dogs in Spain this law reset the baseline, moving responsibility onto owners through mandatory training and cutting off the pet-shop trade that the law treats as incompatible with welfare. It is the national reference point against which the keeping and selling of dogs is now measured.
Common Questions
Is it mandatory?
Yes. It is Spain’s national animal rights and welfare law, in force since 29 September 2023, and it replaced a patchwork of regional rules with a single national framework.
Who enforces it?
The public authorities, through inspection and an administrative penalty regime, with the detail set out in implementing regulation.
What does it require of owners?
Owners must complete regulated responsible-ownership training for the species they keep. The law also bans aversive training equipment, naming electric, impulse, punishment and choke collars.
What did it change about selling dogs?
It restricts commercial breeding to breeders on an official register and prohibits selling dogs, cats and ferrets through pet shops, leaving registered breeders as the lawful route.
Who does it apply to?
Owners of companion animals in Spain and the businesses that breed and sell them.
Why does it matter?
It reset the baseline, moving responsibility onto owners through mandatory training and cutting off the pet-shop trade the law treats as incompatible with welfare.