On Sunday morning, animal rights activists in Costa Rica gathered at the nation’s capital and started walking towards the Presidential Office in Zapote. Carrying banners and picket signs, participants chanted slogans that called for a resolution to advance a legislative proposal that calls for punishment of those who commit acts of animal cruelty.

President Luis Guillermo Solis allowed eight representatives from the organization Animal Welfare Movement to come into his office and discuss the situation. This proposal has been stuck at the Legislative Assembly for several months due to conflicts of interest, bureaucracy and confusion. According to reporter Josue Alvarado of online news daily CRHoy, President Solis promised that the proposal will be pushed through in December.

Although Costa Rica does have a law that prohibits animal abuse and assigns punishment under some circumstances, the national statute has yet to be revised in the 21^st century. Organizations such as the Animal Welfare Movement are eager to see amendments that call for criminal punishment and incarceration for perpetrators of animal abuse; alas, the current draft of the proposal would send most livestock farmers to jail. As can be expected, industry leaders from the livestock sector have objected to the proposal.

Political analysts interviewed by national news radio station Columbia 98.70 have explained that another issue keeping this proposal from moving forward is that Costa Rica already has several animal protection laws in place; this makes it difficult to pass amendments since all separate laws must be checked accordingly. Some of these laws prohibit:

• Hunting for sport
• Poaching
• Exotic species smuggling
• Performance by caged circus animals
• Keeping certain wildlife species as pets
• Dog fighting
• Cockfights
• Neglecting domestic pets
• Puppy mills

Some legislators have commented that the proposed amendments have a narrow focus that does not go beyond imposing punishment for offenses related to domestic pet abuse. These legislators point out that the proposal should also include provisions to reduce the number of street dogs, promote animal control by means of anti-reproductive measures, promulgate mandatory education on pet care, and discuss the possibility of requiring a license to keep pets.