Petra definitively approves an animal welfare ordinance with fines of up to €200,000

The Petra City Council has definitively approved the Municipal Animal Welfare Ordinance, which is published in full in the Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (BOIB) number 102, dated 15 August 2026, in Section I of General Provisions, Fascicle 224, page 44706. The regulation was definitively approved in the Plenary Session of 3 August 2026, after partially amending a claim submitted during the public exhibition period (edict 3929 of 23 April 2026, Section V, subsection II, p. 21532), and is published under announcement number 8225 (document reference: 1226310).

The ordinance bases its adoption on article 17.3 of the Consolidated Text of the Local Government Finance Regulatory Law (Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004, of 5 March) and is supported by state and regional legislation on animal protection: Law 7/2023, of 28 March, on the protection of animal rights and welfare, and Law 1/1992, of 8 April, on the protection of animals living in the human environment of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands. It also takes into account the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights (UNESCO/UN, 1978) and the Treaty of Lisbon (TFEU, 2007), which recognises animals as sentient beings.

Content and scope of the regulation

The ordinance is one of the most comprehensive at municipal level in the Balearic Islands. It is structured into nine chapters and two annexes, and fully regulates coexistence between people and animals in the municipality of Petra. The regulation recognises animals as beings endowed with both physical and psychological sensitivity and establishes that ownership entails responsibility towards the animal over a long period.

Among the regulated aspects:

• Ownership and treatment: obligation to provide food, water, adequate shelter, veterinary care and hygienic conditions. Express prohibition of mistreatment, abandonment and the use of devices that cause suffering.
• Movement: rules for walking companion animals on public roads and in public-use spaces.
• Municipal census: obligation to microchip and register dogs and cats, with DNA profiling for dogs to identify owners of faeces on public roads.
• Feline colonies: implementation of the Municipal Programme for the Ethical Management of Feline Colonies through the TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) method.

Penalties: fines from 500 to 200,000 euros

The classification of infringements and their penalties is one of the most notable points of the regulation. Infringements are divided into three degrees:

• Minor infractions (article 32): warning or fine of 500 to 10,000 euros. Examples: not picking up feces, having a dog or cat without a chip, not registering a cat with outdoor access.
• Serious infractions (article 33): fine of 10,000.01 to 50,000 euros. Examples: abandoning an animal, not vaccinating or not carrying out health treatments, street vending of animals.
• Very serious infractions (article 34): fine of 50,000.01 to 200,000 euros. Examples: serious mistreatment, slaughtering animals in a non-euthanasic manner, illegal possession of protected or wild animals.

Imposing a fine for a very serious offense entails the immediate confiscation of the animals subject to the infraction and others in the offender’s possession. Furthermore, if an infraction is reported and the animal disappears, the person responsible for its custody will be penalized with double the maximum amount of the reported sanction.

Ethical management of feline colonies: the CER method

One of the most innovative aspects of the ordinance is the annex dedicated to the Municipal Program for the Ethical Management of Feline Colonies. The regulation rejects the euthanasic sacrifice of feral cats, arguing that this method leaves a void that is quickly filled by other unsterilized cats, perpetuating the problem. Instead, it promotes the CER method (Capture-Sterilization-Return to their environment), considered more effective and ethical.

The expected economic impact for the program is:

• Sterilizations: 2,000 to 7,000 euros
• Materials and logistics: 500 to 5,000 euros
• Awareness campaigns: 500 to 1,000 euros

The text reminds that people who have cats with outdoor access must assume responsibility for their sterilization, chipping, and deworming. The ordinance also provides for the creation of a colony database and the role of feral cat feeder, a volunteer identified with a card.

Relevance for the municipality and other town councils

With the approval of this ordinance, the Petra Town Council positions itself as a reference municipality in animal protection and welfare in the Balearic Islands. The regulation ranges from the precise definition of domestic, companion, and feral animals to a sanctioning framework with a clear deterrent intent. For pet owners in Petra, the regulation comes into force with its publication in the BOIB and establishes specific obligations regarding identification, registration, veterinary care, and hygiene. For the rest of the Balearic municipalities, the ordinance can serve as a model or reference when drafting their own regulations on animal welfare.

Source: Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (BOIB), number 102, 15 August 2026, Section I – General Provisions, p. 44706 (official reference: document 1226310, announcement 8225).