Derecho Animal (Jan 2019)
Animals Rights Code: What the Draft Law States
Abstract
The draft law, called “Code on the protection of pets” by the Italian deputy Michela Brambilla has been proposed to the Italian Chamber of Deputies on March 23, 2018. This draft law is the results of several precious legislative proposal, made by the above-mentioned deputy, concerning various aspects about animals’ protection and prevention of stray animals’ phenomenon in a way desirably more effective than previous law n.281/1991 provided. The goals this latter provision fixed have not been achieved at all. The “Brambilla Code”, as the draft laws is renamed, composed by 50 articles aims at solving the problem of kennels’ overcrowding and poor hygiene conditions kennels rage on, together with the problematical increase of pets abandoning caused by several factors, such as, the unconsciousness and lack of care people have when it comes to adopt or have in custody a pet, or problems caused by the fact that pets are often not allowed to access public transports and areas. Broadly speaking, the draft law aims at spreading a different sensitiveness about care people take for their pets which are more and more involved in people daily life. The draft, in fact, comes up with a full-fledged status for pets, claiming them to be “sentient living beings” and to have a full-fledged “right to wellness” with due respect of their biological and ethological features.
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