I’d like to introduce you to Senora Raquel Lopez Teruel, a Lawyer specialising and working solely in animal law (animal rights and welfare). Raquel’s law firm, DEANIMALS (DEFENCE OF ANIMALS) is based in Murcia, but she handles cases in various cities around Spain.
Raquel’s role involves liaison with the police, welfare associations and animal professionals in general, and she has undergone considerable specialist training for this role, which encompasses all types of legal situations, including:
• Denuncias against pet owners
• Defence of animal welfare associations
• Legal advisor on animal law to owners, animal welfare associations, police, administration, etc.
• Specialist in Denuncias in respect of abused animals
She also regularly runs courses for the Police, lawyers and associations so that more people are aware of exactly what route to follow in a case of animal cruelty, what documentation is needed, etc. She organised 3 courses in November 2015 –
1. Course to denounce abuse cases animals to the police
2. Course to denounce to associations
3. Official for new lawyers
In 2016 she already has 3 courses organised –
16-01-16 course for associations about denouncing animal cruelty
23-01-16 course for the policy and Seprona about handling animal abuse denouncias
febrero 2016 course for the police
A couple of the high profile cases she has been involved with is Operation Rehala (the Bullas rescue) and currently the 36 horses rescued in terrible condition and now with Scooby.
In November 2015 she was successful in a prosecution involving the abandonment of 3 dogs in an urbanization in Torre Pacheco, Murcia, the result of which was reported widely on television and the press. Below is a translation.
The magistrate’s Court No. 7 of San Javier has become the first in the Region that put into practice the new article 337 bis, which entered into force on July 1 with the reform of the criminal code, hardening the pursuit of Justice for animal abuse. The prosecution was against a man, 59, who left on August 30 three dogs next to the fence of the urbanization Mar Menor Golf Resort of Torre Pacheco.
The Civil Guard launched ‘Operation Dogs’ and managed to arrest the suspect, who ran a farm. In the operation it was crucial to have the collaboration of security personnel of the estate, which detected in the recordings of the surveillance cameras, how a vehicle that was circulating a road parallel to a wall of the urbanization. It stopped and its driver got out of the car, took three dogs from the rear car and abandoned them to their fate.
The detainee had been denounced for a so-called crime of abandonment of pets by the protective walking with them and Anguimar. In the judgment of the magistrate’s number 7 of San Javier it is noted “recognition of the facts by the defendant” and refers to the above-mentioned article 337 bis, which «punishes the conduct of those who abandon a pet», and, in addition, makes it «in conditions that endanger their lives or physical integrity».
These assumptions are given in the case resolved in the ‘operation Dogs’ and ‘ attention to the seriousness of the facts”, so the judge imposed a three-months fine, with a daily fee of 5 euros to this man, who will have to pay a total of 450 euros as ‘author of a minor crime of animal abuse’. He also imposed one day of deprivation of liberty (prison) for every two unpaid assessed contributions (45 days), and banned him in the exercise of any profession or trade involving the care of animals for a period of six months. He also has to pay legal costs. There is no appeal.
The legal direction of the case was carried out by lawyer Raquel López, DeAnimals Office, who stressed that the resolution “is pioneering and exemplary”. However, the lawyer, specializing in animal law, advised that she will soon present “an appeal for clarification of the statement because the transcript does not disqualify him for six months for the possession of animals’.
The lawyer wanted to highlight that Seprona of the Guardia Civil, the public prosecutor and the Court have been “very diligent, professional and forceful”. The protective looking after the dogs is still waiting for someone to take adopt them.
A second case last week was in Valencia city to make a declaration to the Court about a bad owner this poor little Yorkie. She was kept for 3 years inside a toilet with no light, no sun, never walked on the street, not a good life, never saw a vet. She is now adopted. This is very famous case..
NB We are working on an article which explains in details the complexity of animal welfare law in Spain and why it is difficult to get a successful prosecution.
Comments
One response to “DeAnimals – fighting the corner for animal cruelty in Spain”
What a wonderful lady. We need more people like this. That poor little dog. I still cannot get my head round why people have dogs and treat them like this, they are evil. There was a case here, two German shepherds kept in a basement, no light, no walks nothing since puppies and rescued at 9 years old. All those years, disgraceful, it’s about time we saw prison sentences and lifetime bans on animal ownership for people who abuse and torture animals.