Pezuela debuts animal ordinance with fines of up to 200,000 euros

The City Council of Pezuela de las Torres has finalized the new Regulatory Ordinance for the Ownership and Protection of Companion Animals, the full text of which is published in the BOCM no. 265, dated November 4, 2026, within section III (Local Administration), with reference BOCM-20261104-86. The regulation comes into force the day after said publication, November 5, and provides for fines ranging from 500 to 200,000 euros, in addition to temporary or permanent disqualification from owning animals.

The initial plenary agreement was adopted on April 29, 2026, and received no claims during the public exhibition period, and therefore was automatically finalized in compliance with article 70.2 of Law 7/1985, on the Bases of the Local Regime. The text was signed in Pezuela de las Torres on October 26, 2026, by the mayor, José Pío Carmena Servert.

The ordinance does not create its own infractions: it develops and specifies the regime of Law 7/2023, of March 28, on the protection of the rights and welfare of animals, Law 8/2003 on animal health, Law 50/1999 on the ownership of potentially dangerous animals, and Royal Decree 287/2002. Its entry into force expressly repeals the previous municipal Ordinance on the ownership and protection of domestic companion animals, published in BOCM no. 43, of February 20, 2018.

Fines from 500 to 200,000 euros and disqualification

Article 16 establishes a sanctioning scale in three tiers:

• Minor infractions: from 500 to 10,000 euros, with the possibility of commuting the sanction for responsible ownership courses or volunteering in favor of animal welfare in the municipality.
• Serious infractions: from 10,001 to 50,000 euros.
• Very serious infractions: from 50,000 to 200,000 euros.

In addition to the monetary amounts, temporary or permanent disqualification from owning animals, the seizure of the animal, the prohibition of carrying out activities related to animals, the closure of establishments and farms, and the revocation of the license for animals subject to special security measures may be added. The statutes of limitations are one year for minor infractions, three for serious, and five for very serious.

Inspection and surveillance are the responsibility of the Local Police and accredited municipal personnel, while the sanctioning authority lies with the Mayor’s Office-Presidency or the council department to which it is delegated.

Limit of five animals per home and mandatory identification

Article 3 authorizes a maximum of five companion animals in private residential homes; above this figure, a zoological nucleus must be established and registered in the Registry of Companion Animal Zoological Nuclei of the Central Registry System for Animal Protection. In single-family homes on residential urban land, up to 30 specimens of gallinaceous species or 20 domestic pigeons are permitted, with registration as a self-consumption sub-exploitation and a REGA code.

Dogs, cats, and ferrets must be identified with a microchip before four months of age, and birds through banding. The loss or theft of the animal must be reported within a maximum period of 48 hours, and transfers or sales to the City Council within one month. The feeding of stray animals is prohibited, except in feline colonies managed through the municipal CER Project.

Potentially dangerous dogs and feline colonies

For animals subject to special security measures, a municipal license, a psychological fitness certificate, civil liability insurance with minimum coverage of 120,000 euros, and registration in the municipal registry within 15 days are required. Enclosures must have a perimeter fence of at least two meters in height, and guidance in public spaces shall be done with a muzzle and a non-extendable leash of up to two meters, with a maximum of one dog per person.

Article 12 makes a municipal Feline Colony Management Program mandatory, including microchip identification in the name of the City Council, surgical sterilization, a census of colonies, shelters, feeding points, and accreditation of the caregivers. The abandonment of cats in the colonies and the unauthorized removal of community specimens are prohibited.

Six months to adapt and appeal before the TSJ

The transitional provision grants a maximum period of six months, from the date of entry into force, for those who already own regulated animals to adapt to the new prescriptions. The expenses derived from the application of the regulation shall be borne by the animal owner, and the amounts will be automatically updated if superior regulations modify them.

An administrative appeal may be filed against the agreement before the Administrative Litigation Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Madrid within two months from the day following the publication of the announcement.

The ordinance affects all animal owners in the municipality, who from now on assume obligations regarding identification, housing, control on public roads, and insurance, with a sanctioning regime that reaches 200,000 euros in the most serious cases. The City Council also commits to disseminating the content of the regulation among the population.

Source: BOCM, no. 265, November 4, 2026, section III (Local Administration), pp. 600-609 (official reference: BOCM-20261104-86).