Residents of Llubí will not be able to have more than three pets.

LlubíThe Llubí City Council has definitively approved the municipality's Animal Welfare ordinance, which aims to regulate the protection, ownership, and possession of animals. It also aims to "guarantee responsible animal ownership, reduce abandonment and loss, and also promote citizen participation and education in animal protection."

Among other things, the document regulates the number of animals that can be kept in each home. The ordinance specifies that no more than three dogs, cats, or other similar animals may be kept in a single home in the town center.

Even so, a maximum of five animals will be permitted in single-family or detached non-residential properties. In any case, the City Council may reduce or increase the number allowed depending on available space, hygiene and sanitary conditions, and potential disturbance to the neighborhood.

The ordinance establishes in all cases that the Llubí City Council will allow the ownership of pets "as long as their presence does not represent a risk, danger, or discomfort to other people or animals."

Sanctioning regime

The text establishes a comprehensive penalty system to ensure coexistence and respect for animals. Infractions are classified as minor, which can reach €750, serious, from €750 to €1,500, and very serious, ranging from €1,500 to €3,000.

Furthermore, repeat offenses or the accumulation of several offenses can lead to heavier penalties. The text also contemplates the preventive removal of animals in the case of serious infractions, the substitution of fines for community service, and the allocation of a portion of the funds raised to awareness and adoption campaigns.

Among the infractions considered minor, the ordinance already specifies the possible penalties. Thus, for example, urinating on facades is punishable by €200, and failing to clean up urine is punishable by an additional €200. Feeding cats without accreditation is €200, and failing to remove feces is €300. Combinations of these offenses can reach €560 or more.

The most common serious infractions include, for example, failing to identify or register animals with microchips, failing to vaccinate or perform mandatory health treatments, keeping animals in inadequate space or hygiene conditions, or leaving them permanently locked up or confined without exercise or water. Other infractions include keeping production animals (chickens, pigs, etc.) in the Old Town or walking potentially dangerous dogs without a muzzle or a short leash.

Very serious infractions include, in short, behaviors that involve mistreatment, risk to the life or health of animals, or abandonment.

With this ordinance, Llubí provides itself with a modern regulatory framework aligned with State Law 7/2023 on the protection of animal rights and welfare, to promote responsible ownership and better citizen coexistence.

The Llubí City Council already regulated some of the rules it includes with the modification of the ordinance on citizen coexistence and civility at the beginning of 2024. Now, however, it has approved a specific ordinance in accordance with the aforementioned state law.