Andorra Advances Animal Welfare Law Reforms with Stakeholder Input and Calls for Bolder Measures

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

Animal welfare organizations support the direction but urge bolder steps, including a complete ban on pet sales to reduce abandonment and encourage responsible adoptions. The Rescatista i Proteccionista d’Animals Association (ARPA), now led by ethologist Laura Valero following recent leadership changes, has delivered detailed proposals to the ministry and for penal code revisions. These seek a preventive approach combining penalties, administrative oversight and education to address shortcomings in Llei 11/2016 and the current penal code, which allow repeat offenders to evade effective monitoring.

ARPA's key recommendations feature immediate animal removal in serious abuse cases, with fines covering actual costs of recovery, rehabilitation and rehoming. The group calls for an official registry of sanctioned individuals, protected by data protocols, to enable tracking and prevent recidivism. All prospective owners would require prior administrative authorization from their comú or relevant authority, cross-checked against the registry before veterinary chipping or registration. A certificate would be mandatory for these procedures, centralizing checks with authorities rather than veterinarians.

To regain ownership rights, sanctioned individuals must fully pay fines, complete basic canine welfare training emphasizing positive reinforcement, behaviour and first aid, accumulate at least 25 hours of shelter volunteering, and obtain favorable reports from both. Repeat offenders would face permanent bans. For "indirect" or fraudulent ownership—such as banned persons living with or controlling animals registered to others—ARPA proposes holding complicit owners accountable, allowing immediate seizures on reasonable suspicion, and routine inspections. It also suggests extra barriers for sanctioned people pursuing animal-related professions, including high-level psychotechnical assessments comparable to those for security forces, specialized conduct modification certifications, or official qualifications—stressing that basic reinstatement training does not suffice for professional roles.

ARPA advocates future data-sharing with Spain and France through established judicial and police channels to block offenders from registering animals abroad, citing Andorra's border proximity as a vulnerability.

The Associació Protectora d’Animals, Plantes i Medi Ambient (APAPMA) views the reforms positively but recalls prior updates as inadequate, often diluted to shield specific interests amid growing societal sensitivity to animal welfare. "The last one was progress compared to what we had, but it fell short," the group noted.

GosSOS, which has not yet seen the final draft, backs stricter penal code measures to revoke ownership rights for convicted abusers, prohibit painful training tools like electric collars, expand psychological abuse definitions, and update welfare standards. The organizations concur that Andorra has a chance to lead regionally, provided the reforms incorporate substantial enhancements.