This country's score has worsened since 2014.

Recognition of animal sentience and prohibition of animal suffering
This goal assesses whether animal sentience has been recognised in legislation and explores the core legislative protections granted to animals, such as the prohibition of animal cruelty.
Animal Sentience is formally recognised in legislation
However, the Chilean Civil Code treats animals as property. In fact, animals are defined as ‘moveable assets’ in article 567, since they can move themselves. As a result, the owner of the animal is responsible for all the damages caused by the animal, even after it has been released or lost. This is true unless the release, loss, or damage cannot be imputable to the owner’s fault.
Analysis
Enforcement Mechanisms
Key Recommendations
Laws against causing animal suffering
Article 3 establishes that animal owners have a duty of care towards their animals. In fact, Article 3 reads that any animal owner must ‘take care of it and provide it with adequate food and shelter, according to, at least, the minimum needs of each species and category and the background provided by science and experience’. Article 3 also relates to wild animals as it states that ‘the freedom of movement of wild animals should not be unnecessarily restricted, especially if it causes them suffering and disruption of their normal development’. Article 4 mandates that the transport of animals must not cause mistreatment or ‘serious deterioration of their health.’ Article 5 regulates that any establishment using animals – for exhibition, experiments, production, sale – must have adequate facilities relative to each species to avoid ‘mistreatment and the deterioration of their health.’
Unnecessary suffering must also be avoided during the sacrifice of animals (Article 11), which is understood to be the killing of animals who provide meat, skins, feathers or other products.
However, Article 16 outlines that anti-cruelty provisions do not apply to ‘sports in which animals participate, such as rodeos, cow runs and equestrian sports,’ which shall be governed by their respective regulations.
Law No. 18859 of 1989 modified the Penal Code in relation to animal protection, by adding Article 291 bis which punishes anyone committing acts of mistreatment or cruelty to animals with the penalty of minor prison in its minimum degree and/or a fine of one to ten minimum monthly incomes. Article 18 of Law 20380 of 2009 amended Article 291 bis to introduce stronger penalties.
Article 291 TER of the Penal Code defines animal cruelty and mistreatment ‘as any act or omission, occasional or repeated, that unjustifiably causes harm, pain or suffering to the animal’. Animal cruelty can occur, either by action or omission through for instance a lack of food or water, the use of instruments or substances that cause animals to die with suffering in a state of consciousness; through removing destroying or altering any member, organ or appendage of an animal for causes other than veterinary or sanitary.
According to Article 175 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Law 19696, from 2000), all public employees are obliged to report crimes that they become aware of in the performance of their duties, including any act of mistreatment or animal cruelty.
Analysis
It is also positive that Article 291 TER of the Penal Code includes acts of negligence in the definition of animal cruelty.
However, it is not explicit that Law 20380 protects the mental wellbeing of animals, since the anti-cruelty provisions focus on physical wellbeing. Only Article 3, which addresses the welfare of wild animals, may address the psychological wellbeing of animals by alluding to the ‘normal development’ of animals, which may be impacted by high stress levels.
Enforcement Mechanisms
In addition to potential fines and imprisonment, the law gives powers to judges and other relevant authorities to seize animals and order veterinary care for animals affected by cruelty behaviours (Article 13).
Furthermore, the legislation implies that the government is in charge of producing policy to educate and raise awareness on issues in relation to cruelty towards animals, providing literature for complementary guidance and recommendations for citizens in the country.
Key Recommendations
• Article 291 bis of the Penal Code prohibits abuse and cruelty to animals, and cruelty to animals extends to suffering caused by a failure to act (Article 291 TER). However, the Government of Chile is strongly encouraged to explicitly forbid practices that would cause psychological suffering, as well as physical suffering.

Presence of animal welfare legislation
This goal explores animal protection laws in relation to various categories of animals, namely: farm animals, animals in captivity, companion animals, working animals and animals used for entertainment, animals used for scientific research and wild animals.
Protecting animals used in farming
Rearing
Decree No. 29 of 2012 regulates the protection of animals during their industrial production, their commercialisation and in other animal keeping areas, such as zoos, circuses and exhibition places. Article 6 details the prohibitions on the handling of animals, which would cause them unnecessary pain or suffering. However, the use of electrical stimulation is justified in some cases, such as when an animal refuses to move forward. The Decree also states that the person in charge of the animals must be trained in aspects such as: handling and proper movement of the animals, in order to avoid physical injuries, and to minimize pain and suffering, among other aspects.
Rearing – pigs
Rearing – broiler chickens
Rearing – egg-laying hens
Rearing – dairy cattle and calves
Transport
Decree No. 30 of 2012 focuses on the protection of animals during transport. Article 4 rules that animal transport should not cause unnecessary suffering. Article 5 explains that the SAG will encourage the preparation of good practices that contain recommendations on how to comply with article 4. An example of such good practice manual was created for pigs in 2019. Decree No. 30 complements Decree No. 240, dating from 1993, which contains the requirements for vehicles utilised in cattle and meat by land, rail, water, and air transportation. Livestock loading must be done in a way to avoid injuries to the animals. The carrier is responsible for the supervision of the animals and must allow them to rest and provide them with drinking water every 24 hours and for a period of eight hours each time.
Slaughter
Decree No. 28 of 2013 regulates the technical procedures surrounding the slaughter of animals, both domestic or wildlife, that provide meat, fur, feathers and other products at the time of profit in industrial establishments. Article 1 states that such procedures should ‘tend to avoid unnecessary suffering’. The decree is based on the OIE standards on slaughter. Article 19 mandates that animals must be ‘desensitised’ with appropriate methods specific to each species, and which avoid unnecessary suffering. A table outlines legal requirements specific to certain species, namely, bovines, sheep and goats, pigs and poultry. However, there is no mention of egg-laying hens.
Analysis
The existing legislation provides for human and financial resources to be allocated for the continuing development of policies and measures to protect animals under this category. It is positive that the government has enacted more detailed regulations in Decrees 28, 29 and 30 with regards to animals used in farming and given responsibility to the Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) for enforcing such regulations. It appears that the government has allocated human and financial resources for the SAG to monitor compliance to animal welfare standards, since a sub-department to SAG dedicated to animal welfare was created. Moreover, the SAG organised a workshop on animal welfare in transport in partnership with the OIE, which shows the government’s commitment to engage in discussions on how to improve such welfare standards. Furthermore, livestock keepers are provided with courses to adequately follow the regulation. Such training is managed by the SAG. Each teacher must have training in livestock production, health and animal welfare.
In 2002, inspections of slaughterhouses were transferred from the Ministry of Health to the SAG. Since the SAG is now responsible for verifying that farms and slaughterhouses abide by animal protection regulations, there should be public evidence of the results of such inspections. Such records have not been found.
Advancements in farm animal welfare, for example, during transport and slaughter, have occurred against a background of a bilateral trade agreement between the European Union and Chile that includes animal welfare and that has stimulated the establishment of bodies within the country concerned with promoting the issue. In 2003, the EU, with the aim of developing standards, requested the introduction of a reference to animal welfare in the trade agreement. As such, the EU-Chile trade agreement is the first bilateral agreement to mention animal welfare.
Enforcement Mechanisms
Law No. 18859 introduced a new offence in the Penal Code relating to cruelty towards animals. Penalties were strengthened by the adoption of Article 18 in Law 20380. In its present form, the law states that anyone committing acts of mistreatment or cruelty to animals shall be punished with the penalty of minor imprisonment in its minimum to medium grades and/or a fine of two to thirty monthly tax units.’
In addition to potential fines and imprisonment, the law gives powers to judges and other relevant authorities to seize animals and order veterinary care for animals affected by cruelty behaviours (article 13).
Legislation on public health provides some additional enforcement mechanisms, mostly administrative and in relation to restrictions and sanctions applicable to the meat industry. Importantly, the legislation includes capacity building mandates for employees working with animals.
Non-compliance with any Decrees 28, 29 or 30 generates penalties, according to the procedure based on the Organic Law of SAG No. 18.755, dating from 1988.
Violations of decrees No. 28, 29 and 30 on the protection of animals must be sanctioned with fines of one to 50 to 50 monthly tax units. In case of repeated crime, the fine may be doubled. In the infractions of articles 5 and 11 (establishments of industrial production, livestock fairs and establishments for the benefit and slaughter of animals), temporary closure may be imposed for up to three months, or the definitive closure of the establishment (Law 21020, Article 37).
Key Recommendations
• The Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) has published animal welfare good practices with regards to pig production. The SAG is strongly encouraged to produce such guidelines for other species of animals used in farming.
• The Government of Chile is urged to mandate the humane slaughter of all farm animals. Animals should be instantaneously rendered unconscious and insensible to pain and distress prior to slaughter. Today, there is growing consensus amongst religious authorities worldwide that pre-slaughter stunning is compatible with religious principles. Humane halal slaughter allows for the animal to be temporarily rendered unconscious via stunning prior to slaughter, as long as the animal's skull remains intact and the animal would regain consciousness in time should slaughter not occur. Therefore, animals should be unconscious before being bled, and no further processing should occur until irreversible loss of consciousness is confirmed. No animal should be forced to witness other animals being slaughtered as this is inherently distressing.
• Moreover, the SAG is in charge of monitoring the implementation of animal protection legislation. The SAG is strongly encouraged to publish reports of its inspections of farms and slaughterhouses.
Protecting animals in captivity
As a general principle, Article 3 of Law 20380 establishes that the freedom of movement of wild animals should not be unnecessarily restricted, especially if this causes suffering or alters their normal behaviour.
Zoos
With regards to zoos, Resolution No. 2602 provides that animals, with the exception of birds, that are imported into the country to be exhibited in zoos, must be covered by an official certificate, indicating the country, the animal species, the establishment of origin, the number and identification of the animals (race, sex, age, marks and signs) and the identification of the means of transport. Likewise, it must prove, among other things, that the region of origin is free from diseases.
Private keeping of wild animals
No legislation has been found specifically relating to the private keeping of wild animals.
Fur farming
Analysis
Article 13 establishes that the Agriculture and Livestock Service is responsible for the enactment of provisions found in Article 5. There is no evidence of financial resource allocated to the delivery of this legislation.
In 1996, the New York Times pointed out to the deplorable conditions of the animals living at Santiago’s public zoo. However, at present, conditions appear to have improved. The zoo’s website highlights its efforts to provide for the wellbeing of its animals. There is no mention, however, of inspectors in charge of verifying that welfare needs of animals in captivity are met.
Enforcement Mechanisms
Moreover, Article 13 creates enforcement mechanisms for breach of Article 5, which mandates adequate facilities for species kept in captive settings – for show for exhibitions, laboratories, production or sale of animals. Article 13 establishes that anyone found guilty of mistreatment under Article 5 will be sanctioned with a fine of one to 50 monthly tributary units. In case of recidivism, the fine may be doubled. Compliance with the regulation will be supervised by the Agricultural and Livestock Service, according to the procedure established in Lay 18755.
However, since no legislation has been found on the private keeping of wild animals or on animals used in fur farming, there are no enforcement mechanisms associated to these categories of animals.
Key Recommendations
• The Government of Chile is strongly encouraged to allocate human and financial resources to create an inspection unit in charge of verifying that welfare standards are respected where animals live in captive settings. Facilities where animals are kept captive should be regularly inspected, and the results of such inspections should be made public.
• The Government of Chile is urged to fully ban fur farming. Fur farming is inherently cruel and causes pain, distress and suffering to animals.
• Additionally, the Government of Chile is encouraged to develop a Positive List of species, specifying which animals can be kept as companion animals, based on clear criteria including animal welfare and other relevant concerns.
Protecting companion animals
Care of companion animals
General provisions in Article 3 of Law 20380 establish that animal owners have a duty of care and must provide adequate food and shelter to their animals apply to companion animals.
Since the API was first published in 2014, former president Bachelet promulgated the Law on Responsible Tenure of Pets and Companion Animals in July 2017. Law 21020 defines pets or companion animals as ‘those domestic animals, whatever their species may be, that are maintained by people for company or safety purpose’ (article 2).
Article 7 establishes that municipalities must issue an ordinance on the responsible possession of pets.
Article 10 creates a duty of care on pet owners, and article 13 mandates that pet owners have a civil liability to the damage that pets may cause. Article 12 forbids the abandonment of pets, which is considered animal abuse.
The Ministry of Interior and Public Security shall also maintain a national registry of pets, in order to control stray animal populations.
This law states that all pet owners have to identify and register their pets onto an online platform managed by the Ministry of the Interior. Pet owners also have a duty of care to give their animals food, maintain their health and have a civil liability to the damage that pets may cause. Owners are also forbidden to abandon their pet or to leave them in places that do not meet the appropriate conditions for their care.
In addition to defining responsible pet ownership and the respective duties of pet owners, Law 21020 establishes norms to protect public health, people’s safety, the environment, and protected natural areas by applying measures to control the population of pets. Municipalities are in charge of monitoring compliance to this law.
Stray animals
Analysis
Furthermore, it is positive that the government is promoting education on responsible pet ownership. Paragraph 2 of Article 3 connects this idea with schemes on controlling animal population humanely by using mechanisms that have been internationally accepted as responsible and representative of maintaining good animal welfare. However, the mandates are restrictive as far as references are specific to dogs and cats and not to companion animals in general. In addition, no immediate restrictions or provisions on what constitutes ‘responsible ownership’ are found in law. Since this Index was first published in 2014, the government has not provided a more detailed definition of responsible pet ownership. The law announced in 2017 by former president Bachelet provides a stronger duty of care of animal owners, notably by prohibiting abandonment.
Article 2 in Law 20380 identifies the relevant authority as responsible for the promotion of the mandates included in the law. Whilst there is no evidence of existing financial resource allocated to undertake such responsibilities, former president Bachelet has advised the government’s intention to act with respect to promotion of responsible pet ownership and a national sterilisation programme.
There is a large population of stray or roaming dogs in the country, estimated at one dog for every six humans. It is regrettable that humane stray dog population management is not enshrined in legislation. Former president has made a call for more affordable veterinary centres where pets can be vaccinated and sterilised. In Santiago, for instance, there are free vaccination services on specific days of the week.
In addition to the national sterilisation programme, initiatives at the municipal level demonstrate the government’s intention to improve the welfare of stray animals. In August 2014, Santiago’s mayor Christian Vittori formed a brigade of 12 stray dogs, trained to patrol and protect the streets. The goal of this initiative was two-fold: reflect on responsible ownership of dogs by giving them a purpose and, secondly, to recover the abandoned dog population and to train them to be useful to the community. However, no record was found of how much public funding is allocated to such neuter programmes or initiatives for the rehabilitation of stray dogs.
There are also NGOs focusing on spay and neuter programmes in the country, such as Fundación Quiltro. This suggests that there is social support for improving the lives of stray animals.
Enforcement Mechanisms
Law 21020 on the Responsible Tenure of Pets contain enforcement mechanisms in Title IX. Animal cruelty is punished according to the provisions of Article 291 bis of the Penal Code. Any other contraventions under Law 21020 is punished with a fine from one to 30 monthly tax units.
However, since no legislation has been found on stray animals, there are no enforcement mechanisms associated to this category of animals.
Key Recommendations
• It is positive that the former president has implemented humane population controls of stray animals. However, humane stray animal population management is not enshrined in legislation. In addition, there is no evidence was found on how much public spending goes into such programmes. The Government of Chile is thus encouraged to continue allocating funding to such spay and neuter programmes, and to publish information with regards to the impact of these programmes.
• The Government of Chile is encouraged to engage with the International Companion Animal Management (ICAM) coalition to learn about and implement their dog population management methodology. The methodology consists of a full cycle of action, addressing the root causes of conflict between roaming dog and communities. The document is helpful to governments to manage dogs humanely as well as to help communities to live in harmony with dogs.
• Chile promotes responsible pet ownership through Article 2 of Law 20380 and should continue to do so, including through promoting the adoption over the purchase of companion animals.
Protecting animals used for draught and recreation
Animals used for entertainment
However, Article 16 exempts ‘sports in which animals participate, such as rodeo, cow runs, movement to rein and equestrian sports’ to be considered under Law 20380, since such activities ‘shall be governed by their respective regulations.’
No evidence of such regulations has been found.
Draught animals
No legislation has been found specifically relating to animals used for draught.
Analysis
No specific restrictions or limitations to the use of certain species are introduced in this law, falling behind the international trend to ban the use of wild animals in circuses. These factors are at odds with the idea of making the welfare of the animals covered by this indicator a mainstream concern of society. It is understood that wild animals are used in several travelling circuses in the country and are living in deprived conditions. Furthermore, the exemptions provided by Article 16 enable cruel activities such as rodeos to be exempt from anti-cruelty considerations.
With regards to animals used for draught, there is no acknowledgement of specific issues concerning animal welfare.
Enforcement Mechanisms
There are enforcement mechanisms consisting of fines and imprisonment for breaches of the anti-cruelty provisions of Law 20380. Article 18 states that anyone who commits acts of mistreatment or cruelty to animals shall be punished with the penalty of minor imprisonment in its minimum to medium grades and a fine of two to thirty monthly tax units, or only with the latter.
Moreover, Article 13 creates enforcement mechanisms for breach of Article 5, which mandates adequate facilities for species kept in captive settings – for show for exhibitions, laboratories, production or sale of animals. Article 13 establishes that anyone found guilty of mistreatment under Article 5 will be sanctioned with a fine of one to 50 monthly tributary units. In case of recidivism, the fine may be doubled. Compliance with the regulation will be supervised by the Agricultural and Livestock Service, according to the procedure established in Lay 18755.
However, since no legislation has been found on draught animals, there are no enforcement mechanisms associated to this category of animals.
Key Recommendations
• Article 16 of Law 20380 provides exemptions to animal protection provisions to sports using animals, including practices impeding on the welfare of animals, such as rodeos.
- The Government is strongly encouraged to enact a ban on the use of all animals in circuses. A first step would be achieved by outlawing the use of wild animals in circuses, following the examples set by numerous countries doing so, such as Bolivia.
- At minimum, the Government of Chile is encouraged to repeal Article 16, so that sports using animals for entertainment are subject to the same anti-cruelty provision that any other use of animals.
• The Government of Chile is strongly encouraged to engage with NGOs to promote the welfare of animals used for draught and recreational purposes.
Protecting animals used in scientific research
The composition of this Animal Bioethics Committee is laid out in Article 9: it consists of two academics, two scientists, an investigator, a representative from the Association of Veterinary Medicine and a representative of institutions for the protection of animals with national importance.
Article 10 forbids experiments to be carried out on live animals at the basic and middle levels of education. Live animal experiments are allowed in agricultural or high schools, only when they are deemed ‘indispensable and cannot be replaced by accumulated experience or alternative methods of learning’ by the principal of the school or the dean of the respective faculty.
Article 5 also applies to animals used in scientific research, since it lays out that ‘establishments destined to the research and teaching about animals’ must have adequate facilities to the respective species and categories of animals to avoid mistreatment and the deterioration of their health. Article 5 is essentially reiterated in the fourth paragraph of Article 7.
In 2013, Resolution No. 1911 created the Institutional Committee for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, as requested by the OIE since its 78th General Assembly which took place in 2010.
The use of animal testing for cosmetic products and their ingredients does not appear to be restricted in legislation.
Analysis
The Animal Bioethics Committee is entrusted to produce guidelines on the use of animals in research, and it is positive that such Committee includes representatives from animal welfare organisations. However, no publicly available evidence of such guidelines has been found.
In May 2018, a research conducted by Cadem Consultancy, and commissioned by the animal protection organisations Te Protejo and Humane Society International, found that 86% of Chileans are in favour of a national ban on animal testing for cosmetics. Seeing the wide public support for a ban on testing for cosmetics, there may be industry pressures that represent barriers to enacting such a ban.
Enforcement Mechanisms
Key Recommendations
• It is positive that Chile has created an Animal Bioethics Committee, in charge of drawing up guidelines for research carried out using animals. However, the guidelines do not seem to be publicly available. As such, the government is strongly encouraged to publish such guidelines and to clarify their legal status, ensuring the guidelines are legally binding.
• Moreover, the Animal Bioethics Committee is encouraged to promote the Three Rs principles as recommended by the OIE – replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in scientific experiments. As of now, only the principle of replacement features in Article 10 of Law 20380, with a focus on live animal experiments.
• The Government of Chile is urged to enact a ban on animal testing for cosmetics and their ingredients. By enacting such a ban, Chile would follow the examples set out by 37 countries around the world (including the European Union) which has already forbidden animal testing for cosmetic products.
• Chile is encouraged to continue engaging with animal welfare organisations in order to promote alternatives to animal experiments.
Protecting the welfare of wild animals
Article 13A of Law 18892 of 1989, the General Law of Fisheries and Aquaculture, provides that the Secretariat of the Fisheries and Aquaculture is responsible for establishing rescue procedures for animals in imminent danger of physical harm or death, unable to survive in their environment (as a result of human activities, pollution or adverse environmental factors).
Article 13B of Law 18892 of 1989 provides that rehabilitation activities must respect the biological characteristics and behaviour of different species, and Article 13B requires a permit in order to hold in captivity, research and rehabilitate cetacean species.
Article 2 of Law 20293 (OJ 25/10/2008), Amendment to the General Law of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Protection of Cetaceans, prohibits the killing, hunting, capture, and other activities involved cetaceans.
This legislation is implemented by the 1998 Decree No. 5. Title IV of the Decree specifies which method may be used for hunting. Article 25 prohibits using poison, except for species considered pests such as rats and mice.
In 2015, the law on hunting was amended to allow licensed gun holders to hunt feral dogs in rural areas.
In 2016, Law 20962 implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was enacted.
Other than a national policy on the conservation of threatened species , which has been in place since 2005, and earlier conservation measures to protect wildlife , there does not appear to be evidence of a general wildlife protection law. Since this Index was first published, Chile has published a National Biodiversity Strategy for the period from 2017 to 2030, whose goal is to make significant progress in the sustainable use of national biodiversity, contributing to the maintenance of its ecosystem services. Article 13F specifies that aquaculture rules must protect animal welfare and avoid unnecessary suffering. However, the focus of this Strategy lies in conserving populations of species and their ecosystems, rather than focusing on the welfare of individuals.
Analysis
Article 2 of Law 20293, which effectively prohibits whaling, is helpful to mainstream welfare concerns for other species since it extends to all other cetacean species.
Law 19473 on Hunting establishes a mandatory hunting permit, which suggests some form of control on hunting. However, the focus of this legislation is on the conservation of species populations, rather than on the welfare of individuals. Only Articles 18 and 26 mention animal welfare. In Decree No. 5, which implements Law 19473, hunting methods are specified. Poisoning is only allowed for species considered ‘pests.’ There is no prohibition on the other cruellest forms of hunting (e.g. trapping, dog hunting, baiting etc.).
The Government is taking measures to protect biodiversity although there are resource and enforcement challenges. The Chilean government seems willing to invest resources to better protect wild animals, since former president Bachelet announced in January 2018 an expansion by 38,5% of the country’s national parks, reaching 10 million acres.
With regards to marine life, former president Bachelet announced in 2008 that the entire coastline of Chile would be converted into a whale sanctuary, and that whales would be regarded as national monuments. This reflects a strong political commitment to improving the protection of wild animals. Chile’s recent decision in August 2018 to ban the use of plastic bags can also be seen as an effort to improve the welfare of marine animals, who suffer from the pollution of microplastics.
Enforcement Mechanisms
Article 135 of Law 18892 provides that any person who kills, hunts or captures any cetacean species shall be liable to imprisonment ‘in its minimum degree’ and seizure without prejudice. Any person who possesses, transports, unloads or markets these species shall be liable to confiscation and imprisonment ‘in its medium degree.’
Key Recommendations
• The Government of Chile is encouraged to ban any form of hunting that does not directly support subsistence. Subsistence hunting operations must employ the least cruel methods of hunting and slaughter, and that all possible efforts should be made to reduce the time to death of animals killed in these hunts. At a minimum, the Government is encouraged to forbid the use of the cruellest hunting methods. At present, there are no provisions detailing what hunting methods can be used. This suggests that cruel forms of hunting, such as trapping, baiting and dog hunting, are allowed.
• By contrast to the lack of legislation with regards to land animals, there are more legislative provisions concerning marine animals. Article 2 of Law 20293 should serve as an example for other countries to ban the killing, hunting and capture of cetaceans.

Establishment of supportive government bodies
This goal examines government commitment to animal protection. This includes whether there is allocation of responsibility, accountability and resources within government to protect animals.
Government accountability for animal welfare
Article 13 of this law states that the Agriculture and Livestock Service shall be responsible for ensuring the adequacy of facilities that house or utilise animals; and for making sure that animals do not suffer from mistreatment.
Article 8 establishes an Animal Bioethics Committee to produce guidelines for the ethical use of animals in scientific research. The committee functions independently to propose and evaluate policies relating to animals of this category.
Since this Index was first published, Law 21020 on the Responsible Tenure of Pets was enacted in 2017. Article 3 mandates that the Ministries of Interior and Public Security, health and Education, with the collaboration of their respective municipalities, promote responsible ownership of pets ‘in order to ensure their welfare and the health of people and the environment.’
Analysis
Inspections of slaughterhouses were transferred in 2002 from the Ministry of Health to the Agriculture and Livestock Service (Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero, SAG), under the Ministry of Agriculture. SAG is also in charge of monitoring the implementation of Law 20380 , and it has created a Sub-Department of Animal Welfare in order to do so. It is positive that the SAG provides information about animal welfare on its website. However, SAG’s activities focus on farm animals. By comparison, the Animal Bioethics Committee focuses on the use of animals for research; and the Ministry of Health is in charge of promoting responsible ownership of companion animals. As such, there is no coordinated action for animal welfare for all species. There is no animal welfare body addressing welfare issues for all species at the national level.
Enforcement Mechanisms
Key Recommendations
• As such, the Government of Chile is encouraged to create a multi-stakeholder committee in order to effectively engage all actors involved in maintaining animals’ well-being to find solutions for welfare concerns. This committee would guide the overall Chilean policies and strategies on animal welfare, in line with international standards. This committee should include representatives from animal welfare organisations.

Support for international animal welfare standards
This goal looks at whether the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)’s animal welfare standards have been incorporated into law or policy, and whether the Government is supportive of the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare.
OIE animal welfare standards
Several of the OIE’s guiding principles for animal welfare are covered in Chilean legislation. Animal transport, slaughter, stray population control and the use of animals in scientific research are covered by various provisions in Law 20380 (Articles 2-11). The Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) highlights on its website that the regulations surrounding animal transport and animal slaughter model the OIE’s Terrestrial Animal Health Code.
However, since Chile has no regulation surrounding animals used for draught, the OIE standards on working equids are not reflected in Chilean legislation.
Analysis
Issues covered by existing legislation are in accordance with several the standards and the guiding principles of the OIE. Inclusion of further OIE standards, among which the concepts of the Three Rs and the full development of the Five Freedoms concept, would be helpful to improve existing legislation. Furthermore, Chile would benefit from enacting legislation on animals used for draught, especially equids, to abide by OIE standards.
Enforcement Mechanisms
Key Recommendations
• Furthermore, the Government of Chile is strongly encouraged to promote a more thorough application of the Three Rs principles, notably through the work of the Animal Bioethics Committee.
• It is positive that the Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) uses the OIE standards as examples of legislation to follow. The Government of Chile is encouraged to continue engaging with the OIE to stay up-to-date with its animal welfare standards and to continuously incorporate such standards in the country’s legislation.
Support for the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare
Note: The UDAW is a proposed formal international acknowledgement of a set of principles giving animal welfare due recognition among governments and the international community. An expression of support for the UDAW demonstrates a government’s commitment to working with the international community to improve animal welfare.