The Official Veterinary College of Barcelona (COVB) has formally submitted objections to the draft Regulation on Zoological Nuclei, a piece of legislation with far-reaching implications for breeders, pet shops, animal shelters, rescue organizations, and any establishment in Catalonia that houses, breeds, or sells companion animals. The COVB's intervention aims to ensure that the final text includes stronger animal welfare protections and promotes responsible breeding standards grounded in up-to-date veterinary science.
What Are Zoological Nuclei and Why Does This Regulation Matter?
Under both Spanish and Catalan law, a zoological nucleus is any establishment or facility that keeps animals for sale, breeding, temporary housing, or exhibition purposes. This broad definition encompasses dog and cat breeders, pet shops, boarding kennels, bird aviaries, and wildlife recovery centers, among others.
Regulating these spaces is critical for several reasons. First, it sets the minimum standards for housing conditions, nutrition, veterinary care, and environmental enrichment that must be guaranteed for the animals kept there. Second, it defines the training and accountability requirements for the people who manage them. Third, it determines the role veterinary professionals must play in overseeing and certifying these facilities.
The draft regulation currently under review aims to modernize a legal framework that, in certain respects, has not kept pace with advances in animal welfare science over the past decade. However, the COVB believes the proposed text contains significant gaps that must be addressed before final approval.
Key Points in the COVB's Formal Objections
The objections filed by the COVB are structured around several core areas:
- A stronger veterinary role: The COVB calls for an explicit recognition of the veterinarian as the primary guarantor of animal welfare within zoological nuclei. This would mean requiring a certified responsible veterinarian for any facility above a defined animal threshold, along with mandatory documented periodic inspections.
- Responsible breeding standards: The objections request minimum requirements for breeding programs that go beyond current administrative controls. Specific proposals include genetic health screening, early socialization protocols, and science-based limits on the number of litters per breeding female.
- Traceability and documentation: The COVB advocates for stronger identification and registration systems, including a requirement that every animal born in a zoological nucleus has a complete health record from birth through adoption or sale.
- Updated housing conditions: The college requests that parameters for space, temperature, lighting, and environmental enrichment be updated in line with the most recent European standards, particularly for dogs, cats, and exotic companion animals.
- Mandatory continuing education: Veterinary professionals propose that facility managers be required to demonstrate ongoing training in animal welfare, not only at the time of initial licensing.
Legislative Context: The Animal Welfare Law and Its Impact
The COVB's objections come at a moment of significant legislative activity. Law 7/2023, of March 28, on the protection of the rights and welfare of animals, passed at the national level, introduced major changes to the regulation of responsible pet ownership and required Spain's autonomous communities to adapt their specific regulations accordingly. Catalonia, which holds its own competencies in this area, is updating its zoological nucleus regulation precisely to comply with this mandate.
Yet the veterinary community warns that a purely administrative transposition is not enough. The opportunity to update the regulation should be used to incorporate international best practices and address concrete problems identified in the field: the rapid growth of online animal sales, inconsistently monitored facilities, and demand-driven pressure on trendy breeds that encourages irresponsible breeding.
The COVB also highlights the need to align Catalan regulations more closely with the EU's evolving framework on animal welfare, including ongoing discussions at the European Commission level regarding the revision of rules for companion animal breeding and trade.
A Statement of Professional Responsibility
The COVB emphasizes that veterinarians are not merely healthcare providers — they are active agents in protecting animal welfare and public health. Submitting these formal objections reflects the profession's commitment to regulation that is effective, science-based, and places the animal's welfare at the center of any commercial or breeding activity.
The final decision on the regulation's content lies with the competent authority, but the technical expertise of the COVB provides an indispensable benchmark for ensuring that the resulting rules are not only legally sound, but also ethically robust and practically enforceable. At veterinariabarcelona.com, we will continue to follow the progress of this regulatory process and its implications for everyday veterinary practice across the region.
