Almensilla revises its animal welfare ordinance and opens new public information period

The Plenary of the Almensilla City Council unanimously approved the incorporation of substantial modifications to the Municipal Ordinance Regulating Responsible Ownership and Animal Welfare and the opening of a new public information period of 20 business days. The agreement, adopted in the session of May 28, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Seville number 188, dated Monday, September 28, 2026, with the reference BOP-SE-2026-188003. The revision affects all animal owners in the municipality and repeals the 2018 companion animal ownership ordinance.

The announcement is signed by the mayor-president, Rubén Mendoza Zabala, and states that the Plenary met with the attendance of eleven of its thirteen ex officio members, with eleven votes in favor. The vote was unanimous among those present, with the support of the five municipal groups:

• Por Almensilla Municipal Group: 4 councilors
• Socialist Municipal Group: 3 councilors
• IU Municipal Group: 2 councilors
• PP Municipal Group: 1 councilor
• Cambiemos Ahora Municipal Group: 1 councilor

Background: from initial approval to the joint proposal

The file begins with the plenary session of January 28, 2026, which agreed on the initial approval of the ordinance. That agreement was published in the Official Gazette of the Province on February 9, 2026, as well as on the physical notice board and the municipal electronic office, and opened a public information period of 30 business days in accordance with Article 49 of Law 7/1985, of April 2, Regulating the Bases of the Local Regime. Once the deadline expired, no claims or suggestions were submitted.

However, during the initial approval debate, the political groups raised the need to clarify and improve the text. In line with this, Izquierda Unida, Cambiemos, and PSOE registered a joint proposal for modifications on March 21, 2026, with registration number 2394 – 2026/PES_02/000703. Since these affected the substantial content of the regulation, the Plenary agreed to incorporate them and subject the consolidated text to a new participation process.

What changes in the ordinance

The modifications proposed by the three groups affect a large part of the articles:

• Article 8: the prohibition of disturbing, pursuing, or capturing animals is specified, which shall be excepted only with competent administrative authorization, including population control programs, legal hunting activities, and sanitary interventions.
• Article 11.3: the generic reference to “sick animals” is replaced by animals with infectious-contagious diseases or transmissible clinical processes, along with puppies under 4 months old and females in heat, as exclusions for access to the ZEC.
• Article 14: the consideration of companion animals is expanded to other domestic species or wild species in captivity permitted by state and regional regulations, and a voluntary and complementary genetic identification system (DNA) is provided alongside the microchip and the Municipal Registry of Companion Animals.
• Article 17: the mandatory sanitary observation of the animal causing injuries is regulated, with removal only if custody cannot be guaranteed, there is a risk of escape, evidence of abuse, lack of identification, or circumstances of dangerousness.
• Article 19: the methods for providing the collection and custody service are detailed (own municipal center, joint management, agreements with non-profit entities, or concessions), with temporary stays of 48 to 72 hours for urgent cases.
• Article 21: the custody period for an animal without identification increases from 8 to 14 business days before being considered abandoned.
• New article: a municipal protocol is incorporated for situations of abandonment, neglect, or abuse, including precautionary measures, sanctioning proceedings, and referral to the judicial authority or the Public Prosecutor’s Office if the facts could constitute a crime.

New procedure and entry into force

The agreement subjects the file to a new public information and hearing process for interested parties for 20 business days, via an announcement in the Official Provincial Gazette, the notice board, and the municipal electronic office. If no claims or suggestions are presented within that period, the agreement will be understood as definitively adopted and the full text will be published. The ordinance will enter into force fifteen days after its full publication in the gazette, and repeals the companion animal ownership ordinance approved in 2018 (BOP no. 301, of December 31, 2018). An optional appeal for reversal may be filed before the mayor within one month, or a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed before the Contentious-Administrative Court of Seville within two months.

The revision comes after the first version of the regulation passed the public information period without any objections, which reinforces the weight of the contributions from the municipal groups in the final text. For animal owners in Almensilla, the most tangible changes are in the custody periods, the new identification obligations, and the protocol against abuse, which expands the municipal capacity for intervention in homes and throughout the municipal district.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Seville, no. 188, of September 28, 2026, Local Administration, page 11 (official reference: BOP-SE-2026-188003).