Pets are now considered members of the family in Spain, thanks to new legislation focusing on animal welfare. In the court of law, dogs and other pets will no longer be considered ‘objects,’ but rather ‘sentient beings,’ meaning they have the capacity to experience emotions and feelings, as of January 5, 2022.

Pets can no longer be seized, mortgaged, abandoned, mistreated, or removed from one of their owners in the event of a separation or divorce. The new legislation, which had been in the works for four years, was approved by Spain’s lower house, the Congress of Deputies, on Thursday.

The bill modifies the Civil Code, Mortgage Law, and Civil Procedure Law, and it affects all animals, whether wild or domesticated. During a divorce or separation, the judge is required to consider the future of an animal in the same way that other relatives are considered.