Peru’s Congress passed a new animal cruelty law on Thursday which mandates criminal penalties ranging from fines to prison sentences.
Congress passed the law unanimously with no votes against and no abstentions after a series of animal-cruelty cases went viral this year, including one in which cats were fed to caimans at a Loreto restaurant as well as an Andean bear which was poorly cared for in rural circus.
The new law establishes fines or up to three years in prison for those who mistreat animals. Cases in which the animal dies mandate a three- to five-year prison sentence.
“Given animals are sensitive beings, every person has a duty to ensure their protection and wellbeing,” reads Article 6 of the new law. “Nobody can deny these facts and their care reflects the moral level of society.”
In addition to killing and torture, the new law also lists abandonment, failure to properly feed or house, bestiality, illegal trafficking and raising animals to fight in shows as illegal forms of cruelty. Hunting marine mammals such as seals and dolphins are also designated as crimes under the new animal cruelty law.
The bill’s sponsors overcame opposition in Congress by writing into the law an exemption for bullfights, cockfights and other shows considered “cultural heritage.” That verbiage will likely include the condor bullfights, in which an Andean condor is tied to a bull.
“Thanks to everybody in Congress for having unanimously approved the law which protects our animals,” tweeted the conservative Popular Christian’s Party congressman Juan Eguren.
Sources
Ley que Penaliza el Maltrato de Animales Domesticos, y Animales Silvestres en Cautiverio (Congreso de la República del Perú)
Congreso aprobó ley para castigar el maltrato animal con hasta 5 años de cárcel (La Republica)
La ley de protección animal en los tuits destacados (El Comercio)
Loreto: denuncian que alimentan caimanes con gatos (El Comercio)
View Comments (7)
IT IS ABOUT TIME! I have witnessed many cases of puppies just being left in a trash can to die, as the owners were too lazy to find good homes for them. There also needs to be free sterilization for cats and dogs as the owners are too CHEAP to have their animals fixed. lastly, it is common in rural areas to feed meat laced with rat poison to dogs who may bark too loud or too long. I have personally witnessed this twice and it makes me want to feed poison to those cruel enough to do this to a defenseless animal.
Get'em!!! MAX PENALTY!!! BE A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS. PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE!!!
Max Penalty!!!!!
Stop animal cruelty!!!
Stopbthis cruelty !!!!
This past week my wife and I rescued 2 kittens that were thrown in a garbage fire to die. Then a puppy who was thrown into a huge pile of garbage with the hopes that her faint cries would not be heard and be carted off when the garbage truck arrived - to also die.
What kind of perverted/sick people do this to animals? After we nursed them back to health, we bound good homes for all 3. Money needs to be established for spaying/neutering and programs in the schools to educate the young - so these inhumane practices do not continue. Shelters would also be a good start in solving such revolting behavior.
Donde pudo llamar para reportar animal crueldad ?