Colombia issues guidelines for the course and roadmap against animal abuse

The Colombian Government issued Resolution 1162 of 2026, which establishes the technical guidelines for the Animal Abuse Awareness Course and the Animal Abuse Care Pathway, in development of Articles 8 and 24 of Law 2455 of 2025, known as the Angel Law. The regulation was published in the Official Gazette 53,618 on Monday, September 7, 2026, on page 95.

The resolution, signed on September 4, 2026, in Bogotá, was signed by the ministers of Environment and Sustainable Development, Fabio Alberto Arjona Hincapié; Health and Social Protection, Ana María Vesga Gaviria; Agriculture and Rural Development, Indalecio Dangond Baquero; Transport, Elsa Margarita Noguera de la Espriella; and by the director of the National Planning Department, Julián Buitrago Arango.

Animal abuse awareness course

The course, provided for in Article 14 of Law 84 of 1989 (modified by Article 8 of Law 2455 of 2025), is a mandatory pedagogical mechanism to access the reduction of the fine provided by law. It must be developed in an in-person modality, with a minimum intensity of three (3) hours, and be oriented toward preventing recidivism in abusive behaviors.

Its minimum contents include:

• Recognition of the sanctioned conduct and its criminal, police, and administrative consequences.
• Basic understanding of animal welfare and behavior, including sentience.
• Identification of risk factors and non-violent management alternatives.
• Practical tools for the prevention of new harmful behaviors.

The course may not be limited to lectures, sending informative material, automatic reproduction of audiovisuals, or mechanical filling of forms. Territorial entities must guarantee its offering with a frequency that ensures the exercise of the right to the reduction of the fine.

Animal abuse care pathway

The Animal Abuse Care Pathway (Technical Annex number 2) formalizes the coordinated institutional action between national and territorial entities regarding cases of alleged abuse. It is structured into four operational components:

• Case reception.
• Case analysis and classification.
• Technical verification and institutional intervention.
• Case management, follow-up, and closure.

The authority that first becomes aware of the facts will be designated as the institutional first responder and must activate the care and referral mechanisms. The pathway also incorporates special provisions for animals affected by the armed conflict, with criteria for differential protection and non-revictimization.

Territorial implementation and follow-up

Departments, districts, and municipalities must adopt the Route through an administrative act within six (6) months following the issuance of the resolution, and update it every two (2) years. Municipal and district administrations, police inspections, the Judicial Branch, and the Attorney General’s Office, through the Special Group for the Fight against Animal Abuse (Gelma), shall report annually to the National Intersectoral Committee for Animal Protection and Welfare (CNPYBA) information regarding the handling of cases.

The regulation, which takes effect from its publication, is framed within Law 2455 of 2025, which criminalized the abuse of domestic, tamed, wild, or exotic vertebrate animals, and Law 1774 of 2016, which recognized animals as sentient beings. Its relevance lies in providing territorial authorities with standardized instruments to prevent recidivism and ensure an articulated and timely response to animal abuse throughout the country.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Colombia, edition 53,618, Monday, September 7, 2026, p. 95 (official reference: Resolution 1162 of 2026).