The Association for Protection of Animals Mi Mejor Amigo (My Greatest Buddy) NGO took to social media on October 12, 2021 to denounce the brutal skinning of a six-month-old pet within the northeastern Colombian city of Saboyá, Boyacá.
“S.O.S. We’re speechless. A drug addict attacked this pet and skinned him. He had not acquired medical consideration since then. We have now now rescued him, however please don’t go away us alone. We have to save him, and we don’t have the assets to take action,” the NGO said on X, sharing a heartbreaking image of the canine, whose physique had been 80% skinned.
Based on Colombian newspaper El Colombiano, the attacker had had presumed disputes with the canine’s homeowners, which led to violence in opposition to the animal as retaliation. Nevertheless, though the canine’s homeowners denounced the slasher to police, he was not punished.
The canine, which the Mi Mejor Amigo NGO named Ángel following his rescue, skilled grave well being setbacks following the assault, together with torn muscle tissues in his frontal left leg, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, by which pores and skin turns into extraordinarily fragile, renal failure and extreme hemorrhaging.
The case sparked large outcry, and thru donations from individuals who realized in regards to the case on social media, Mi Mejor Amigo was in a position to cowl all prices for Ángel’s restoration.
“We determined that we have been going to struggle for him. The veterinarian instructed us ‘he has been preventing for his life for 4 days, he’s nonetheless standing, let’s go for it.’ So we began his remedy. I believe that we now have spent over 50 million Colombian pesos ($12,000 USD) on his restoration. He was hospitalized for six months, and underwent 15 surgical procedures and two blood transfusions,” recalled Vivian Nieto, director of Mi Mejor Amigo, whereas in conversation with newspaper El Tiempo in 2023.
Ángel’s attacker was denounced by the NGO earlier than native police on the identical day because the rescue, however the man didn’t obtain any sanctions. As of February 2025, the person continues to be free regardless of being recognized by the neighborhood and on social media.
Within the canine’s honor, nonetheless, Colombian Senator Andrea Padilla proposed the Ángel Law invoice on July 20, 2024, “to strengthen the struggle in opposition to animal abuse via actions that make sure the investigation and sanctioning of violence in opposition to animals in prison and police sanctioning processes whereas additionally serving to to forestall such habits through consciousness initiatives.”
“Ángel’s case was very particular, not solely due to the intense violence part, however as a result of there was no justice. Vivian needed to see this prison virtually on a regular basis, understanding what he did, residing what he did, and struggling the inefficiency and indolence of our justice system,” Padilla instructed Latin America Stories.
Ángel in the end passed away on February 18, 2025, precisely one week earlier than the Ángel Regulation was unanimously handed by Colombia’s Congress.
“As an activist, as a lady, as a human being dedicated to this trigger, it’s a actually stunning feeling. Understanding that my life has that means and that I’m being helpful to the beings I like most on this planet… animals,” Padilla shared.
A tradition of animal abuse?
In Colombia, instances of animal abuse have reached historic highs lately. Based on the Bogotá Metropolis Council, the variety of reported abuse instances jumped 87% from 2023 to 2024.
For Padilla, nonetheless, this doesn’t essentially indicate a spike in violence in opposition to animals, however slightly the next prevalence in reporting and denouncing.
“In recent times, I imagine this improve is principally because of extra individuals reporting instances. They might not at all times report via official channels, which is a matter of noncompliance, as social media has not develop into a platform for every part,” the senator said.
“And I undoubtedly imagine that individuals are reporting extra as a result of they’re extra outraged, and that speaks nicely of a society’s psychological well being. It exhibits that folks don’t should see a useless, destroyed, burned or hacked animal to acknowledge that it’s a problematic, wrongful habits – one which should be condemned and requires state intervention. This additionally displays the impression of the intensive schooling efforts that we’ve completed via varied fronts to advertise respect for animals,” she added.
Colombia formally acknowledged the necessity for animal safety through Regulation 84 of 1989, by which the state adopted the Nationwide Statute for Safety of Animals. On this, the State dedicated itself to defending all types of animals from struggling and ache, “prompted instantly or not directly by man.”
In 2010, the State additionally acknowledged animals as sentient beings though, it was not till 2016 that punitive measures have been outlined, together with jail sentences of as much as 36 months, disqualifications of as much as three years from professions or possession associated to animals, and fines, according to the Universidad del Rosario.
Now, the Ángel Regulation makes these punitive parts harsher, with jail instances of as much as 56 months, and better fines for criminals between 30 and 60 years outdated whose actions outcome within the dying of an animal.
“I’ve at all times mentioned that defending animals is, in fact, an act of empathy and compassion, a cultural shift – however it is usually about justice, punishment, and the activation of the state equipment,” Padilla asserted.
The Ángel Regulation was handed whereas Colombia debates the cultural heritage part to some practices that allegedly endanger animal welfare. Bullfighting, for one, was outlawed within the nation in 2024, though some declare it’s intrinsic to the cultural identification of Colombia.
“Being anti-bull preventing has develop into a pattern on this nation of hypocrites or brutes… We threaten bullfighting cartels with jail time, these trustworthy ones who threat their lives in a millenary ritual through which a bull is born to be fought,” wrote Aura Lucía Mera, a Colombian author and journalist, in 2018.
When requested how you can confront these arguments that attraction to individuals’s basic proper to tradition, Senator Padilla highlighted the nuances on this debate.
“It is vitally exhausting for a Congress member to defend, with full conviction, a apply through which individuals find yourself useless, with their intestines hanging out, with eyes bulging out, or the place minors are left wounded, bleeding… The cultural argument shouldn’t be sufficient anymore. [Congress members that support bullfighting] should acknowledge that whereas it might be tradition, tradition shouldn’t be inherently good; there are damaging and dangerous cultures – slavery, feminine genital mutilation, for instance, are damaging cultural practices. So, they should attraction to different arguments,” Padilla defined.
Regardless, the senator additionally defined that her colleagues in Congress supported the invoice as a result of, past the safety of animals, their constituents have been asking them to take action.
“Folks helped us do the job within the areas, and congress members instructed me that of all of the animal rights agenda, crucial subjects, these which their constituents have been asking for, have been neutering – Neutering Saves Regulation (Ley Esterilizar Salva)– and justice – Ángel Regulation,” Padilla recalled.
The Neutering Saves Law, handed in Might 2024 by Congress and likewise proposed by Padilla, created a nationwide program for the neutering of canines and cats in Colombia.
Past punitive measures, nonetheless, the Ángel Regulation additionally establishes the Animal Abuse Care Route, which is able to outline the process for denouncing instances throughout Colombia, and pedagogical coaching for members of the general public forces and judges.
“We perceive that justice operators aren’t gods, they usually don’t know every part. They must be educated and made extra conscious as a result of many might have the information, however their sensitivity is missing,” defined Padilla.
The federal government may also face challenges within the implementation of the Care Route.
“Our State is fragile, and it isn’t even current in all corners of the nation. There are municipalities the place there are not any public companies, no faculties, or healthcare protection, the place we nonetheless have to convey the message of animal safety and citizen motion. Municipalities the place there’s armed battle, distant areas, are all included on this Care Route,” added the Senator.
Animal rights on the general public agenda
The short passing of the Ángel Regulation was atypical. As defined by Senator Padilla, this can be very uncommon {that a} invoice has three debates in the identical semester, not to mention is handed unanimously.
The senator’s staff additionally helped pass the Lorenzo Regulation on February 18, which seeks to guard these canines that are utilized in safety and vigilance vocations. Based on the senator, this invoice was drafted following an inflow of social media posts which highlighted mistreatment in opposition to animals utilized by non-public safety corporations.
Regardless, schooling stays a key part of animal rights advocacy. As per Senator Padilla, “birthing” a regulation doesn’t finish when it is dropped at life in Congress. One should make sure that it has its personal life, its personal autonomy.
“In different phrases, it’s not about letting it develop by itself like a wild plant, however slightly about making certain that establishments do their job, that authorized timelines are met, that laws are applicable, and that the pedagogical content material is appropriate. So, we now have to do very intensive work – not solely political oversight and assist for establishments, but in addition citizen schooling,” the senator defined.
For kids, schooling that highlights respect for all sentient beings, together with animals, is essential for cultivating emotional intelligence and compassion. For adults, nonetheless, it might even stop crime and gender-based violence. Based on information shared by the senator, 41% of individuals convicted for violent crimes have a historical past of abusing animals, whereas 81% of males convicted of gender-based violence have additionally abused animals.
And though Colombia is without doubt one of the international locations within the Latin American area with essentially the most authorized precedent in animal safety, others, like Brazil and Argentina, have additionally achieved historic feats.
In Argentina, animal abuse has been penalized since 1954 through regulation 14.346 of the identical yr, which additionally established fines and jail phrases for offenders. In 2024, nonetheless, President Javier Milei proposed the Conan Regulation, named in honor of his deceased canine, and which might introduce stricter penalties if handed.
With it, prison time for animal abusers could be set between three months and three years, and fines would vary from 5 to twenty minimal wages, whereas offences would entail withholding sufficient meals and water from animals, using them for the pulling of carriages, and abandoning them.
Alternatively, Brazil is amongst a handful of nations world wide with animal safety enshrined in its structure, as per the Harvard Evaluate of Latin America. Article 225 of the doc prohibits all practices which symbolize a threat to the ecological perform, trigger the extinction of a species or topic animals to cruelty.
With the Ángel Regulation, then, Colombia joins its regional counterparts within the development of the authorized safety of animals.
“Greater than me, I imagine that what’s behind this can be a society that’s maturing in its public consciousness. So, politically and socially, I believe that it’s outstanding that the Colombian Congress accredited this regulation as a result of it means that there’s a very vital and delicate public opinion, able to making congress members perceive that that is necessary,” remarked Senator Padilla.
Featured Picture Credit score: Andrea Padilla.
