- Title: Madrid annual canine walk doggedly pursues tougher animal cruelty sentences
- Date: 30th December 2019
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (DECEMBER 30, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHIHUAHUA DOG DRESSED IN A GLITTER OUTFIT BARKING AS HE SITS IN A PRAM DOG WEARING A SCARF ON HIS HEAD BARKING
- Embargoed: 13th January 2020 14:04
- Keywords: animal cruelty dog walk dogs prison
- Location: MADRID, SPAIN
- City: MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001BC62OUX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Dozens of excited dogs wearing festive costumes took to the streets of Madrid with their humans on Monday (December 30) in the annual "Sanperrestre" dog walk to demand tougher prison sentences for perpetrators of animal cruelty crimes.
With a jazz band providing entertainment, they took off from the starting line in central Madrid and headed to parliament where the head of El Refugio, a charity for the protection of dogs and cats, called on lawmakers to toughen up laws on animal cruelty.
The charity is calling on the law to be changed to increase prison sentences to two years and one day. Currently the maximum punishment for animal cruelty crimes is an 18 month prison sentence which allows perpetrators to avoid serving their jail terms. In Spain, prison sentences of up two years do not have to be served.
In the past El Refugio has also used the race to demand that dogs have access to public spaces such as beaches and parks and also that they be allowed to ride on public transport.
(Production: Guillermo Martinez, Catherine Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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