The Congress accepted a legislative report that recommended reducing fines and penalties for animal abuse and correcting the unconstitutionality elements in the Animal Welfare Bill, approved in first reading on July 26th.
The decision, drafted by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, was passed with 38 votes in favor and 5 against.
The Constitutional Court concluded on September 21st that the fine stipulated in Article 21 from the act, which penalizes pets’ owners who do not to collect animals’ feces in public places, was disproportional.
In the first initiative, the penalty was 850,000 colones.
According to the recently-endorsed report, the fine will go from 106,000 colones to 212,000 colones.
Regarding prison sentences, in its vote, the Chamber determined that the original proposals were excessive.
In the case of cruelty, 6 months to 2 years in prison were proposed, and for killing an animal there were suggested from 6 months to 3 years in prison. The new text reduced both sentences: in the first case the new sentence goes from 3 months to 1 year in prison and in the second case, the new proposal goes from 3 months to 2 years.
After adopting the Committee on Constitutional Affairs’ report, the bill will be modified and it will be voted in its first reading.