2023-11-24 18:39:00
The Senate approved this afternoon a proposal which makes it possible to modify the Belgian constitution. Animals will now be considered sentient beings. What does this mean and above all what will it change?
On August 31, Iron was euthanized despite a long fight from the La Louvière SPA. Amstaf was suspected of being involved in the death of young Talya in 2021 in Strépy Bracquegnies.
Also read Talya, 8 years old, killed by an Amstaff in Strépy-Bracquegnies: her mother condemned, the SPA demonstrates against the euthanasia of one of the dogs
Considering the animal as a constitutionally sentient being could perhaps avoid this kind of outcome. “If we could have considered Iron’s sensitivity, this could have been taken into account, and there would have been a whole other debate“, notes Gaëtan Sgualdino, general director of the La Louvière SPA. “We could not have achieved this result, but unfortunately, we cannot go back“.
This is actually a sentence added to the existing text. This is not a question of animal rights, but rather of considering them as sentient beings. For shelters, this progress is crucial. “We can imagine that the sensitive dimension of an animal could lead to a consideration of society, of the needs of animals and therefore aggravate certain sentences.“, explains the director of the SPA.
The Senate approved the proposal on Friday. An important symbolic act. “The idea is to anchor in the constitution a new fundamental value shared by a very large majority of Belgians and therefore to ensure animal welfare.“, explains François Tulkens, professor of constitutional law at UCLouvain.
The proposed revision will now be sent to the House. She will in turn have to make a decision.
animal wellbeing
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