Hunting dogs are at risk of being excluded from European protection

06-03-2025

Hunting dogs in Spain are going through hard times. Every year, at least 50,000 are abused, abandoned, or killed. They are kept and used under horrific conditions. However, hunting dogs are now at risk of being excluded from European protection.

Hunting dogs are at risk of being excluded from European protection | Picture: Romy Arroyo Fernandez

Hunting dogs such as galgos and podencos often do not survive their first hunting season. If they perform poorly, hunters no longer need them. They are discarded like trash, hanged from trees, or thrown into pits.

European Protection

European protection is therefore vital. The European Parliament is discussing a legislative proposal to protect dogs and cats. This proposal could introduce regulations for the keeping, breeding, identification, and registration of hunting dogs. As a result, mistreatment and abandonment of dogs would become punishable offenses, and enforcement would become easier.

But the fate of hunting dogs is now hanging by a thread. They are at risk of being excluded from protection, as has happened before in Spain.

Protest in Utrecht against exclusion of hunting dogs from European protection (February 2025)| Picture: Coby Bergsma

Proposed Amendments

Several political parties in the European Parliament have proposed amendments to exclude hunting dogs from protection. Their proposals include:

Exempting hunting dogs from the law.
Allowing the continued practice of cutting off ears and tails.
Permitting hunters to kill their hunting dogs if no veterinarian is nearby.

Maite van Gerwen, Director of CAS International:

“The European Parliament is on the verge of excluding hunting dogs from protection. We cannot let this happen. It is crucial that Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission protect these animals. CAS International is working to make this happen.”

Hunting dogs are at risk of being excluded from European protection | Picture: Aitor Garmendia / AnimaNaturalis / CAS International

Research into Hunting in Spain

For years, CAS International and AnimaNaturalis have been working together to improve the welfare of hunting dogs. We conduct research and lobby the government to implement legal protections for these animals.

In 2021 and 2022, we investigated kennels at 29 hunting sites. We found hunting dogs living in appalling conditions: they were confined in their own excrement and relied on contaminated drinking water. Veterinarians involved in our research observed behaviors indicative of prolonged captivity. Many dogs were chained, restricting their movement, and showed signs of poor health, such as lameness.

🇪🇸🐕🎥 NUEVO VÍDEO | ASÍ VIVEN LOS PERROS DE CAZA EN ESPAÑA

Durante 2021-2022, @AnimaNaturalis y @CAS_Int documentamos 29 cheniles de perros utilizados para la caza, viviendo entre sus propios excrementos, con el agua sucia o congelada, expuestos a las inclemencias del clima… pic.twitter.com/cF3q3VG4bn

— AnimaNaturalis (@AnimaNaturalis) September 29, 2022

Research on Monterías

In 2023, our research focused on “monterías,” a hunting method where groups of dogs chase, attack, and kill large animals like wild boars and deer. This practice, banned in most European countries, causes severe animal suffering—for both the hunting dogs and the hunted animals. The scene includes severely injured dogs, stabbing incidents, animals in agonizing death throes, and hunters stitching up their dogs’ wounds without veterinary supervision.