The Minister of the Environment, Noemí Manzanos, has considered today in the plenary session of the Parliament of La Rioja that it is not “prudent” to approve a regional animal protection law, supporting the rejection of the Popular Parliamentary Group that has placed emphasis on the “fringe ” that remain pending national law.
The plenary session of the Rioja Parliament has debated, this morning, a motion resulting from interpellation by the Socialist Parliamentary Group that sought to urge the Government of La Rioja to, within a maximum period of three months, present a bill in the Rioja Chamber of Animal Protection and Welfare for processing and subsequent approval.
The socialist deputy Jesus María García, in defense of this proposal, has emphasized the fact that, currently, there is no animal collection service, after ending the concession to the Animal Protection Association (APA Rioja).
This, he said, means that the town councils do not know what to do, given that not even 112 knows what to do when, while the service was running, it gave instructions.
I have asked that they bring to parliament a new regional protection law to solve the “anarchy” that has occurred after the ‘popular’ decided to “roll over” the one that was approved in the last legislature, when it was, he said, “functioning perfectly it allowed the ethical management of pets.” Something that he has seen as “irresponsibility.”
A situation to which he has added that the “commitment” of the Rioja Government was to immediately bring “a new law”, something that, he has indicated, he understands as “quickly”.
He has related how the town councils are “receiving letters warning them of their non-compliance with the national law regarding feline colonies”, given that the national law has a chapter that indicates that their management is the responsibility of the town councils. This is something, he explained, that would have had a solution with the regional law that the ‘popular’ party repealed.
The spokesperson for the Podemos-IU Parliamentary Group, Henar Moreno, began her presentation by recalling that the Rioja Government began its legislative session by repealing a law (that of animal protection) that came from a popular initiative and, therefore, “making it clear how it was going to be your government; repeal without listening.”
When it was repealed, on July 28, he added, the Popular Party said that it was going to bring another law. For Moreno, the ‘popular’ have no “intention” to do so. For this reason, he has indicated to García that, even supporting his initiative, he sees it as “illusory” to expect it to be carried out when the Riojan Government “has not done anything.”
From Vox, Hector Alacid has also recalled the “commitment” of the ‘popular’ to bring a bill to parliament. However, he has argued against animals being the subject of law and, therefore, has been against both the repealed regional animal protection law and the national one.
The ‘popular’ Begoña Martínez has emphasized the need to have a law that does not come into “contradiction” with the state law, of which now, she said, “there is a consultation” because it involves “issues that are undeveloped.” ”.
He has defined the law as a “poisoned gift” from Minister Belarra, given that “it has flaws” and, he has even said, veterinarians are “very worried” about “how to act” and there are still issues to be resolved such as “who is going to teach courses for dog ownership.” Therefore, she has seen, “the Government of Spain has a lot to resolve.”
In this same sense, Manzanos explained that the Government committed to drafting a law and, thus, the Ministry’s services have begun to work on it. However, he has assured, state law needs to be developed first.
