The bill aims to strengthen the protection of animals in Luxembourg by legally obliging people to respect the dignity of animals.

Among the key points in the bill are:

• the prohibition to kill or have an animal killed unnecessarily;
• the obligation to rescue a suffering, injured or endangered animal;
• that an animal may only be killed after being stunned (except for hunting and recreational fishing);
• the prohibition of owning certain animals;
• specific obligations for a person keeping an animal, related to feeding, providing water, appropriate care for the species or adequate care in case of illness or injury.

People breaking the law face fines of up to €200,000 and a maximum three-year prison sentence.

Despite the fact that the previous animal rights law had not been modified for 30 years, Luxembourg has stuck its neck out in the past—it was the first country in Europe to ban the killing of animals for economic purposes, for example male chicks in laying hen farms or male calves for dairy cows.

“This bill innovates, modernises, brings more rigour and precision, but I am convinced that thanks to technological evolution and scientific research, we will not wait more than 30 years to readjust this text,” agriculture minister Fernand Etgen said on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the ministry launched an awareness campaign for better animal welfare via the website www.deiereschutzgesetz.lu