According to Legislator Marcela Guerrero, from the Citizen Action Party (PAC), this week, legislators will begin the debate on the bill that punishes animal abuse with jail, which was presented by means of popular initiative.
The Environmental Committee of the Congress approved a substitute text in November that incorporated the observations made by the Constitutional Chamber to the other project.
Guerrero said that the congressmen work on a definition for the term “animal”, following the statement made by the magistrates.
A huge effort has been made to reach an agreement on this issue. The current text includes proportional penalties and other provisions that will allow this Assembly to approve a law that the Costa Rican society demands urgently. Now the last step is to agree on a definition of the term animal,”
said Guerrero.
The initiative seeks to penalize the cruelty, mistreatment and unjustified death of animals.
The penalties for abuse were established in a range of between 6 months and 1 year in prison. Malicious death crimes have up to two years in prison.
The text includes exceptions for fishing and aquaculture, agricultural, animal husbandry, livestock and veterinary activities, as well as clarifications for the bullfighting sector and popular festivities.
This project had the support of 180 thousand signatures of citizens.