Posted on 07/28/2015 11:51:07 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A town in Spain has become the first to recognise dogs and cats as "non-human residents" awarding them equal rights to co-exist alongside their human counterparts.
Trigueros del Valle, with a population of just 300, has become the first municipality in Spain to enshrine the rights of pets alongside those of human townsfolk.
Pedro J Pérez Espinosa, the socialist mayor of the town in the Castilla y León province of Valladolid, introduced the so-called Renedo Declaration to guarantee the rights of dogs and cats as citizens of the town.
"Dogs and cats have been living among us for over a thousand years," said the mayor after the measure was voted in during a plenary session on Monday. "And the mayor must represent not just the human residents but must also be here for the others."
The animal bill of rights was approved unanimously by the new town council.
It comprises 13 articles including statements such as "all residents are born equal and have the same right to existence" and "a resident, whether human or non-human, is entitled to respect".
But it also outlines basic tenets against cruelty to animals such as article 9a which states: “No non-human resident should be exploited for the pleasure or recreation of man,” And article 6b which states that “the abandonment of a non-human resident is a cruel and degrading act.”
In a move which will clearly prohibit any form of bullfighting in the town, the resolution bans "any action that causes the mutilation or death of a non-human resident".
Animal charities hailed the move and said they hoped it would be introduced across Spain. "This is a great day for humans and non-human citizens alike," said a statement from animal rights NGO, Rescate 1.
"Today, we are closer as species and we are now more human thanks to the sensitivity and intelligence shown by the people of Trigueros del Valle," the charity said.
To quote one of Scott Walker’s campaign aides; “Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!”
I guess there are no bull rings in that Spanish town.
My dogs are panting anxiously in anticipation
I ‘am not for equal rights for animals. i am for humane treatment laws for them.
My pets are better’under my care than anyone else in the world. nobody cares and loves my animals as much as I do. for thousands of year’people have regarded some as non-human members of the family.
Animals do better under protection of caregivers than any other system where nobody has any legal responsibilities for good or bad treatment. The whole tragedy of the commons occurs and all that happens is animals unnecessarily suffer because nobody has a personal stake in their best interests.
I have spent thousands of dollars on their medical care, typically as they tend to get older. An Obamacare govt taking care of them would have let them die or killed them off, long ago, to save the state money. They have excellent quality of life, are thriving, get cutting edge care, they see their doc way more than I do.
People take care of the things they love. Thats why animals are better off with specific people taking care of them. Government doesnt love anything, they take care of things for sh1t. Look at the va, the elderly, the waste that continues while telling folks that really eed help they are getting cuts. they cant give money to foreign ilegals fast enough but cut funds from our elderly and m,ostly white citizens. to give to illegals, send criminals to college in jail, to give perverts sex change operations, nd our elderly get less and less.
Never let government take care of you. that phrase can mean two different things, and with government it means the bad one.
Do they get to vote? I can see the next step coming. A board of leftist fellow travelers will be appointed to serve as ‘interpreters’ for pets casting their votes. And the result will be that cats and dogs are found to vote overwhelmingly in favor of higher taxes, central planning, restrictions on free speech, and wealth redistribution. And I’m only being semi-facetious.
So, is every human resident a vegetarian? They better hope so, or the detectives in town have a great deal of work to do in the residentcide business.
What about non-human residents killing other non-human residents. Is there a death penalty for those convicted?
This gets interesting.
Does Spain have euthenasia for humans? If not, you can’t put down really old pets or very sick ones. Or is someone going to argue we can put down pets, let’s put down the those with bad dementia.
Does Spain have laws on putting down dangerous animals? If so, do the dangerous dogs now get repeated trials and life in prison instead of being killed? Or can they bring back their death penalty for dangerous humans?
And then there’s breeding and over-population. Which species gets population control?
If they can do it, why can’t we?
And give them the vote, while we’re at it! It isn’t universal suffrage unless it’s universal.
With rights come responsibilities. Will they be obliged to pick up after themselves?
Next: lawsuits to marry a dog.
Wonder if the Spaniards will still hang Spanish Ham at the doorway.
By the way, will the government charge us with slavery for colonizing bacteria in our intestines?
“Dogs and cats have been living among us for over a thousand years”
So have salmonella and streptococcus. What are their rights?
“All in favor, raise your right paw...”
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