The approval of the draft of a new law for the protection, rights and welfare of animals prepared by the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 of Spain has caused some confusion. Various media outlets have stated that the DNI for pets will be compulsory in 2022 in Spain
But the truth is that, although it is one of the measures of this draft, it has not yet entered into force. Given the doubts raised, in this article on our site we explain what this DNI consists of, for which animals it will be necessary and when and where it will have to be requested.
What is the DNI for pets?
The DNI for dogs and cats is a national animal identification document whose intention is to unify the registry of pets throughout the Spanish territory, while obviously achieving their identification. Having a single registry is important because so far there are regional registries, with the difficulties that this represents when a dog with a microchip appears outside its territory of origin.
This DNI will be mandatory for all of them and, in practice, it is a way of always knowing who is the caretaker of the animal and, therefore, who has the duty to take responsibility for it. In addition, with this DNI, which is intended to be electronic and with a QR code reader, it is intended to follow what is called traceability in production animals. That is, knowing from birth to death, at all times, who is taking care of a certain animal, in this case, a pet. This would not only serve to avoid abandonment or claim damages to third parties, but would also be important for sanitary control, following the One He alth concept. For example, it could help control zoonoses.
But we cannot say that the DNI for pets will be mandatory in 2022 in Spain, since the General Directorate for Animal Rights itself has not expressed any measure leading to its implementation, at least in a short space of time.
Which animals should have ID?
In principle, this national animal identification document would be mandatory for all pets that may live with us in our homes, since for all of them it is important to control ownership to avoid abandonment, as an animal protection measure and, likewise, to help monitor their he alth, with the implications that this also has for human he alth. But remember that, at the moment, it cannot be confirmed that the DNI for pets will be mandatory in 2022 in Spain.
When will the DNI for animals come into effect?
As we move forward, there were many news that stated that the DNI for pets would be mandatory in the year 2022 in Spain. But the truth is that this idea seems to be the result of confusion and, we insist, There is still no forecast on when the DNI for cats and dogs will come into force.
It is possible that the error arises from what has already been truly approved, which has been the reform of the Civil Code, in force since January 5, 2022. This reform was approved last December in Congress and, specifically, it is Law 17/2021, of December 15, amending the Civil Code, the Mortgage Law and the Law of Civil Procedure, on the legal regime of animals. This change in the legislation has nothing to do with the DNI, but only affects different aspects of the Civil Code, one of them as important as the fact that animals cease to be things to be considered sentient beings.
This modification is very relevant, since the animals cannot be distributed in cases of separation as if they were furniture, but a custody regime will have to be established as beings with sensitivity that they are. In our article Can a dog have two owners? Here's more information on who gets the dogs in the event of a divorce.
Although this measure is the most striking, the new law also affects its custody when its caregiver dies or compensation in cases in which the animal suffers some decline in its physical or psychological he alth, for give just a couple of examples.
In any case, returning to the DNI for pets, there is still no news regarding the times for its implementation, which also requires the development of an application so that pets can read its QR code. veterinarians and security forces.
Where to apply for the DNI for animals?
Although it is hoped that the DNI for pets will be compulsory in 2022 in Spain, we insist that there is still no date for its implementation or nor is it known, at the moment, how or where it will have to be requested and there are only different hypotheses circulating, such as that it can be processed from veterinary clinics, a platform exclusively dedicated to its management is created or the current registry or the General Directorate of Animal rights. We will have to be attentive to the news that should be announced over the coming months.
