Colombia issues guidelines for the course and roadmap against animal abuse

The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Transport, and the National Planning Department issued Resolution 1162 of 2026, dated September 4, which establishes the guidelines for the Awareness Course against Animal Abuse and issues the Animal Abuse Care Route. The regulation, published in the Official Gazette number 53,618 on September 7, 2026 (p. 95), develops articles 8 and 24 of Law 2455 of 2025, known as the Angel Law.

The resolution is framed within the National System for Animal Protection and Welfare (SINAPYBA), created by article 31 of Law 2294 of 2023 and regulated by Decree 0810 of 2025. Its objective is to guide the implementation of the awareness course and formalize coordinated institutional action regarding cases of alleged animal abuse at the national, departmental, municipal, and district levels.

Awareness Course against Animal Abuse

Technical Annex number 1 sets the technical, pedagogical, and institutional articulation criteria for the course, provided for in article 14 of Law 84 of 1989, modified by article 8 of Law 2455 of 2025. The course shall:

• Be developed through participatory and applied learning methodologies.
• Prioritize practical prevention tools and a basic understanding of animal welfare.
• Provide information on the criminal and sanctioning consequences of abuse.
• Be oriented toward reducing the probability of recidivism in abusive behaviors.

Animal Abuse Care Route

Technical Annex number 2 contains the Route, structured into four operational components: case reception, analysis and classification, technical verification and institutional intervention, and management, monitoring, and closure. The Route is supported by five pillars: inter-institutional coordination, timely care, technical support and traceability, intersectoral and territorial approach, and comprehensive care.

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 Route also incorporates special provisions for the care of animals affected by armed conflict, in accordance with paragraph 3 of article 24 of Law 2455 of 2025.

Territorial Implementation and Monitoring

Departments, districts, and municipalities must adopt the Route via administrative act within six months following the issuance of the resolution, and update it every two 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), must report information on case handling annually to the National Intersectoral Committee for Animal Protection and Welfare (CNPYBA).

The resolution was signed by Fabio Alberto Arjona Hincapié (Minister of Environment), Ana María Vesga Gaviria (Minister of Health), Indalecio Dangond Baquero (Minister of Agriculture), Elsa Margarita Noguera de la Espriella (Minister of Transport), and Julián Buitrago Arango (Director of the DNP). The regulation takes effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette.

With this regulation, Colombia takes a decisive step in the operationalization of the Ángel Law, providing authorities with standardized protocols to prevent, address, and sanction animal abuse, and recognizing animals as sentient beings within the framework of the “One Health” and “One Welfare” approaches.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Colombia, No. 53,618, September 7, 2026, p. 95 (official reference: Resolution 1162 of 2026).