Parliament rejected this Friday a Chega bill that proposed to strengthen the protection of pet animals, and that only had the support of the PAN and the Liberal Initiative.
The Chega initiative sought to modify the decree-law that establishes the legal norms for the application in Portugal of the European Convention for the Protection of Companion Animals, reinforcing the protection mechanisms.
In addition to Chega, the diploma course received the support of the PAN and the Liberal Initiative, but was rejected with votes against by PS, PSD and Bloco de Esquerda and abstention by PCP and Livre.
Among the changes introduced by the bill, the party proposed double the expected fines in the decree currently in force and included in the accessory sanctions to “Deprivation of the right to detain pets for a maximum period of six years”.
A bill presented by the PAN that regulates chaining and accommodation on balconies and similar spaces and provides for the implementation of a National Unchaining Plan was also being voted on.
The party submitted a request for the diploma to be sent to the Environment and Energy Commission without a vote, and the request was approved unanimously.
The PAN initiative establishes, for example, that pets cannot remain alone, without human or animal company, for more than 12 consecutive hours, cannot be permanently chained and cannot be housed in spaces such as balconies for more than three hours a day. .
The projects of the two parties were discussed in the plenary session on Thursday, in a debate in which the the parties agreed on the need to improve animal protection, but the majority did not agree with the worsening of criminal frameworks for crimes against pets, proposed in a petition with more than 27 thousand signatures and that was also under debate.
Another PAN initiative was also discussed on Thursday that expands the criminal protection of animals, processing reform 56 of the Penal Code, but the diploma was not included in the voting guide for this Friday’s plenary session.
Source: Observadora
