The Portuguese Parliament decrees, under the articles 164th , line d), and 169th , number 3, of the Constitution, the following:
CHAPTER I
General Principles of Protection
Article 1
General measures of protection
1 – All unjustified violence against animals is forbidden, being considered as such the acts which consist in, unnecessarily, inflict death, cruel and prolonged suffering or severe lesions to an animal.
2 – The animals that have diseases, are wounded or in danger should, whenever it is possible, be helped.
3 – It is also forbidden the practice of acts that consist in:
a) Demanding from an animal, in cases where there are not emergencies, efforts or performances that, by virtue of his condition, he is obviously incapable of performing them or that are obviously beyond his possibilities;
b) Using whips with ties, spurs with more than 5 mm, or other perforating tools in the leading of animals, with the exception of those used in the equestrian art and in lawful bullfights;
c) Acquiring or disposing of an animal that is weakened, sick, worn out or aged, that has lived in a domestic environment, in a commercial, industrial or other premise, under protection and human care, to any end that be not that of his treatment and recovery; or, should that be the case, the induction of an immediate and respectful death;
d) Intentionally abandoning in the street animals that have been maintained under human care and protection, in a domestic environment or in a commercial or industrial premise;
e) Using animals for ends of didactics, training, filming, exhibitions, advertising or similar activities, as far as that results in considerable pain or suffering for them, unless in a scientific experiment of proved necessity;
f) Using animals for particularly difficult trainings or in experiments or entertainment activities which consist in morally confronting different animals with each other, unless in the practice of hunting.
4 – The species of animals that are endangered are object of protection measures, namely for the preservation of the ecosystems to which they belong.
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Article 3
Other authorisations
1 – Any physical or collective person that uses animals for ends of commercial spectacle cannot do it without a previous authorization of the competent entity or entities (General Administration of Spectacles and respective municipality).
2 – Bullfights are authorized in the established terms.
