Executive Summary

Since the API was first published in 2014, Peru has improved with regards to animal welfare, since a new Animal Protection and Welfare Law 30407 has been enacted in 2016. This new legislation is applicable to all domestic and wild animals in captivity. Importantly, Law 30407 recognises all vertebrates as sentient beings. Peru is regarded as progressive in certain areas of animal welfare, for instance through its national ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, as well as numerous prohibitions on mistreating animals. The use of animals for scientific research is also regulated by regional and a National Ethics Committee for Animal Welfare.

However, there is room for improvement in many domains related to animal welfare. Former legislation related to animal protection, Law 27265, provided more precise animal welfare provisions with regards to the transport and slaughter of farm animals, which have not been transposed in Law 20407. Moreover, inhumane practices such as bullfighting, cockfighting and other activities deemed culturally important are exempt from anti-cruelty provisions. Stray animals, working animals and wild animals also lack protection in Peru, especially since cruel hunting methods, such as falconry, are still authorised.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, acting as the governing body for Law 30407, is expected to coordinate with other relevant Ministries to enact complementary regulations to Law 30407. However, no evidence of such supplementary measures was found, which limits the ability to monitor progress on animal welfare in the country.

The Government of Peru is encouraged to define animals as sentient beings in its Civil Code, following the phrasing of Law 30407. With regards to farm animals, the Government of Peru is urged to mandate humane slaughter, which notably requires unconsciousness prior to slaughter, for all animals. Law 30407 authorises the keeping of wild animals as companion animals: instead, the Government of Peru is encouraged to adopt a positive list of species, indicating which animals can be kept as companion animals, based on clear criteria including animal welfare. The Government of Peru is also urged to remove the exemptions of animal cruelty for activities deemed of cultural importance, such as bullfighting and cockfighting. The Government is highly encouraged to develop detailed legal provisions to implement welfare standards for animals used in testing, which would therefore bring Peru closer to international standards. It is recommended that the scope of application of Law 30407 is extended to include all wild animals. Further legal and policy recommendations are associated with each Animal Protection Index (API) indicator and contained in the relevant sections of this report.