Andorra Advances Animal Welfare Law Reforms Amid Calls for Harsher Measures

The Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock has reached the final phase of drafting reforms to Andorra's animal protection and welfare law, pending last reviews and meetings with stakeholders such as the College of Veterinarians, animal shelters, the hunting federation, farmers and commoners. The government plans to submit the text to the Consell General before summer, focusing on stronger safeguards through more robust legislation.

Animal rights groups, however, are urging even tougher measures, including a complete ban on pet sales to reduce abandonment and encourage adoptions. The Rescatista i Proteccionista d’Animals Association (ARPA), now led by ethologist Laura Valero following recent leadership changes, has developed detailed proposals for the ministry and ongoing penal code revisions. These emphasize an integrated approach blending sanctions, administrative oversight and prevention to address recidivism gaps in the current system.

ARPA calls for immediate animal removal in serious abuse cases, fines covering full recovery, rehabilitation and rehoming costs, and an official registry of sanctioned individuals—complete with data protection safeguards—for effective tracking and coordination. To prevent evasion, it proposes prior administrative authorization for all pet ownership, verified against the registry before veterinary registration or chipping. Those previously sanctioned would face strict reinstatement conditions: full fine payment, basic canine education training on welfare and positive methods, at least 25 hours of shelter volunteering, and favorable reports from both. Recidivists would face permanent bans.

ARPA also seeks to criminalize "indirect" or "fraudulent" ownership, where banned individuals live with or care for animals registered to others, imposing sanctions on complicit owners and enabling immediate seizures on reasonable suspicion. Additional checks would apply for those seeking animal-related professions post-sanction, such as advanced psychotechnical evaluations or specialized training certifications. In a later phase, ARPA suggests international cooperation with Spain and France to share penal data on abuse cases, given cross-border risks.

The Associació Protectora d’Animals, Plantes i Medi Ambient (APAPMA) views the reforms positively but recalls past efforts as limited, often diluted to spare certain sectors amid growing societal sensitivity to animal issues. GosSOS, without seeing the final draft, backs the direction and pushes for penal code hardening to bar convicted abusers from ownership, bans on painful tools like electric collars, and expanded definitions of psychological maltreatment and welfare standards.

The groups see potential for Andorra to lead regionally, though they stress more progress is needed.