EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

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Committee on Petitions

13.07.2005

NOTICE TO MEMBERS

Petition 1115/2003, by Carlos Rodriguez Huray (Spanish) concerning cruelty to hunting

dogs in Spain

1. Summary of petition

The petitioner objects to the way in which certain hunters in Spain treat their hunting dogs,
normally greyhounds, keeping them locked up in uninhabited premises where they are
malnourished and only releasing them on Sunday for hunting purposes. At the end of the
hunting season to avoid the expense of feeding them when the dogs are no longer needed they
are killed in an extremely cruel manner simply for entertainment. The petitioner maintains
that the authorities, while aware of this situation, are doing nothing to remedy matters.

2. Admissibility

Declared admissible on 30 April 2004. Information requested from the Commission under
Rule 192(4).

3. Commission reply, received on 6 July 2005.

The Commission is very concerned about the welfare of animals and gives it a high priority.
The Commission’s attention has already been drawn to the allegations of cruelty to hunting
dogs in Spain made by some complainants.
However, the Commission is only able to intervene when it has legal power to do so.
Community rules exist in respect of animals, including dogs, for their protection during
commercial transport, except journeys less than 50 km (Council Directive 91/628/EEC
amended by Directive 95/29/EC), but the European Union currently has no competence in
relation to the general prevention of cruelty to dogs. The conditions under which dogs like
greyhounds are kept or used for hunting are matters within the sole competence of the
Member States.
The Commission has in respect of the transport of greyhounds previously intervened with the
Spanish authorities who replied to the effect that they were unaware that there was any serious
problem in relation to this aspect.

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 The Commission, as indicated in a reply given by Commissioner Byrne to oral question
801/03 of Mrs Patricia McKenna, can only call upon the responsible authorities to eliminate
this problem to the extent that it still exists.
The Commission believes that it is significant that the largest animal welfare society in Spain
has recognized that progress has been made in improving the welfare of greyhounds used as
hunting dogs in Spain and that action by the Guardia Civil has curtailed the cruel methods of
killing these dogs which have been subject to past complaints.
Finally, it can be confirmed that the Commission has recently requested the Spanish
authorities to comment further in the matters raised by the petitioner although it must be
emphasized for the reasons mentioned above that the Commission has no power to take
concrete action except when there is clear evidence of problems arising in the context failure
to enforce the above mentioned Directive covering welfare of animals during transport.

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EN