The New Approach To Animal Rights In Colombia

There are many people who do not see animals as living beings with feelings but as things. This has generated abandonment, mistreatment and that there are no judicial penalties with which to pay for these acts. But more and more animal rights defenders are fighting for big changes.

This is the case of Colombia, a country of great extension in which animals of different species, origins and races live. It all started with Lilia Sanín, a lawyer who set out to fight for animal rights.

Lilia Sanín and her new approach to animal rights

The main objective of Lilia Sanín was that animals be recognized as beings with feelings and not as things.

In this way, the penalties for neglect and abuse would be tougher and animals, considered as beings with feelings, could enjoy the special protection of the state.

When Lilia Sanín was asked why she did this, she said verbatim according to Colombian newspapers:

“In my particular case, being able to legally defend animals is an opportunity that I consider the arrival of the universe to infinitely thank those who have been unconditional companions in my life, and to see my profession as a way to help them to be seen as beings alive and not as objects of cruelty and indifference ”.

How are animal rights treated in Colombia?

In Colombia, animal abuse has always been considered a punishment rather than a crime. In cases of animal abuse, only the police arrived, order was put in place and policemen and abusers marched under the same conditions.

This was protected by Law 84 of 1989, according to which it is stated that the legal status of animals in the country is of things and not of living beings with feelings.

These laws promote the mistreatment and abandonment of animals in the country.

But all this changed, thanks to the initiative of Lilia Sanín.

New animal rights laws in Colombia

In the town hall meeting in which the subject was discussed, they began by talking about bullfights, which it was recognized that they should have been prohibited for a long time.

In this meeting, the pertinent arrangements were made in the law so that animals appear as beings with feelings and not as things, in addition to ordering the following precepts that everyone must obey and that those who do not will be punished by law:

• Animals must be kept in a hygienic, well-ventilated and well-conditioned place where they can move freely and enjoy good light.
• Provide him with food, drink, medicines and necessary medical attention in a continuous and abundant way so as to ensure his good physical and emotional health.
• If the weather requires it, the necessary shelter should be provided as well as a warm place to be.
• An animal may not be harmed either with blows, burns or punctures or any other type of abuse.
• An animal cannot be killed for futile reasons.
• An animal cannot be killed by prolonging its death or agony. This includes slaughterhouses, in which they must strictly follow state regulations to kill animals that are intended to become food in a dignified way and as briefly as possible.

• Animals cannot be used for fights.

The law follows hundreds of precepts that guarantee animal welfare and that will make Colombia a country where animals can live in peace.

In the same way that there are countries like Colombia in this case, also Spain, that have hardened their penalties against animal abuse, from My Animals we want this to set a precedent for a better world full of healthy and happy animals.