The Fight for Animal Rights in Honduras: History of the Animal Protection and Welfare Law
In the historical context of animal protection, the Law of Colonel Richard Martin (1754–1834), renowned Irish politician and animal rights activist, stands out. This law, approved on June 22, 1822, marked a milestone by establishing the first global regulations for animal welfare, known as the Law to Prevent Cruel and Unfair Treatment of Livestock. This law was pioneering in penalising fines of up to five pounds or two months in prison for mistreatment of horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, among others, explicitly excluding dogs and cats.
Colonel Martin, a fervent animal defender, not only promoted and supported this law, but also set an example by filing the first court case covered by this legal regulation. In this case, he reported Bill Burns, a fruit seller who had physically attacked a donkey. In court, Martin showed the animal’s injuries, which resulted in the abuser’s arrest and fine. Although this act of justice was mocked by the media of the time, it set a historical precedent in the fight to defend animals that are exploited at work.
At the national level, in January 2015, in the department of Yoro, a homeless, docile and very malnourished dog was the victim of an act of reprehensible cruelty. Four perverse and cruel young people tied him to rockets (mortars) and enjoyed witnessing his violent and merciless death by blowing him up and also spread the heart-breaking and disturbing images on social networks without showing the slightest sign of remorse, immediately going viral.
The criminals, protected by their status as minors and taking advantage of the absence of a special law that contemplates adequate sanctions for acts of animal abuse and cruelty, only received a small fine for the cruel death of their victim: a docile dog in a state of malnourishment: helpless, hungry and sad, who was fighting to survive on the streets of the department of Yoro. This heart-breaking situation generated an unprecedented union between activists, organisations, animal defence groups and the population in general. Together, we condemn any act of violence against animals and demand justice for them.
Through peaceful marches nationwide, we protested the suffering to which that noble and small helpless dog who was later called “Angel” was subjected, demanding that our authorities approve a special law that would confront cruelty and acts of abuse. As a result of the multiple protests, the Presidency of the Republic sent the National Congress a draft bill for animal protection, which had been presented by a local animal rights organisation and was archived. Representing the Honduran Association for the Protection of Animals and their Environment (AHPRA), I presented an extensive document with relevant legal contributions hoping they would be considered in the National Congress.
After months of meetings and discussions with a commission of parliamentarians, the first animal law protection in Honduras was approved. This law was published in the Official Gazette “La Gaceta” on April 5, 2016, under Decree number 115-2015. The entry into force of this special law took place on October 6, 2016, during World Animal Week. This achievement was possible thanks to the support of the Humane Society International (HSI) organisation, which assumed the costs of its publication in the official journal because the central government evaded this responsibility.
Without a doubt, the approval and promulgation of an animal protection law in Honduras marks a crucial milestone in the fight for animal rights, being the fruit of the continuous efforts of the national animal movement. However, it is imperative to recognise the multiple weaknesses and gaps present currently, as well as its undeniable anthropocentric bias, aspects that limit its effectiveness and scope.
Therefore, it is fair and necessary to draft a new bill that establishes a solid legal framework for the protection of animals. To achieve this, it is essential to have the commitment and collaboration of various actors, including animal rights organisations, experts in ethology, academics, veterinarians and other sectors involved, who must contribute their knowledge and experience from an ethical position. When drafting this new regulation, it is essential to take into account the content of the Cambridge Declarations (July 2012) and the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness (April 2024), issued by groups of respected scientists from different branches that revealed to the world about consciousness in mammals and birds, as well as the possibility of consciousness in a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. Furthermore, the New York Declaration emphasises the ethical obligation to consider the individual welfare of animals. Based on these principles, animal protection laws, including that of Honduras, must evolve to ensure effective protection of all animals.
Sources:
Academia-Lab (2023). Historia de los derechos de los animales https://academia-lab.com/enciclopedia/historia-de-los-derechos-de-los-animales/
https://www.notimerica.com/sociedad/noticia-jovenes-hondurenos-graban-torturan-matan-perro-20150124185833.html
Congreso Nacional de Honduras. (2015). Ley de Protección y Bienestar Animal, Decreto No. 115-2015. https://www.poderjudicial.gob.hn/CEDIJ/Leyes/Documents/Ley%20de%20Proteccion%20y%20Bienestar%20Animal.pdf
Animal-ethics. (2024). La organización Ética Animal. https://www.animal-ethics.org/declaracion-consciencia-cambridge/
https://www.animal-ethics.org/the-new-york-declaration-on-animal-consciousness-stresses-the-ethical-implications/
Written by Karla Johanna Duarte Tercero, president of the asociacion hondurena protectora de los animales y su ambiente (ahpra)