Law 20380 on the Protection of Animals 2009 is the main piece of legislation relating to animal protection in Chile. Crucially, this law recognises that animals are sentient beings, though they are still defined as ‘moveable assets’ in the Chilean Civil Code. Secondary legislation supplements Law 20380, through three Decrees regulating the conditions of rearing, transport and slaughter of 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. This new legislation establishes a duty of care on pet owners and provides that various Ministries and their municipalities are in charge of responsible pet ownership. This law furthermore prohibits the abandonment of pets, which amounts to animal cruelty.

The Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) is the main authority in charge of monitoring animal protection, however, its activities focus on farm animals. There is also an Animal Bioethics Committee, which oversees the use of animals for research.

Following the recognition of animal sentience in Law 20380, the Government of Chile is strongly encouraged to recognise animals as sentient beings in the Chilean Civil Code as well. The SAG has published animal welfare good practices with regards to pig production and is strongly encouraged to produce such guidelines for other species of farm animals. Similarly, it is recommended that the Government of Chile enacts legislation with specific requirements for wild animals in captivity, and for the humane treatment of stray animals.

Furthermore, the Government of Chile is strongly encouraged to ban any activities involving the use of animals for sport or for entertainment where such use may involve suffering or adversely affect the animals’ welfare, such as rodeos and circuses. Animal testing for cosmetic products and their ingredients should also be forbidden. Further legal and policy recommendations are associated with each indicator and contained in the relevant sections of this report.