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A visão crescente dos animais de companhia como membros da família, acompanhada dos progressos científicos na temática da senciência animal, levou a que o bem-estar animal passasse a constar da ordem do dia de muitos ordenamentos jurídicos, incluindo do nosso país. Surgiu então um novo estatuto jurídico do animal, plasmado na Lei n.º8/2017, de 3 de março, que veio alterar vários diplomas existentes, em especial, o Código Civil, e que aponta no sentido da “descoisificação” dos animais. Não obstante, os mesmos continuam a poder ser objeto de um direito de propriedade, que passou a ter um conteúdo muito específico, regulado no novo artigo 1305.º-A do Cód. Civil, e que se distingue do direito de propriedade sobre coisas. Este direito de propriedade sobre animais encontra-se sujeito ao respeito pelo bem-estar animal, conceito este que, embora já presente noutros diplomas legais de natureza pública, foi transposto pela primeira vez para o plano jurídico-civil. Os proprietários de animais devem então proporcionar-lhes um ambiente e dieta adequados, providenciar pelas suas necessidades comportamentais naturais, prestar companhia e protegê-los de dor, sofrimento, lesões e doenças. Também os tribunais passaram a ter o seu poder de decisão sujeito ao bem-estar animal, no contexto da fixação do destino de animais de companhia em sede de divórcio ou rutura de união de facto, em virtude do novo artigo 1793.º-A do Cód. Civil. Na decisão sobre a qual dos cônjuges o animal de companhia deve ser confiado, os tribunais devem averiguar, para além dos interesses dos cônjuges e dos filhos do casal, qual dos cônjuges se encontra em melhor posição de assegurar o bem-estar do animal de companhia, tomando para esse efeito em consideração variados fatores, tais como a ligação emocional do animal de companhia aos cônjuges ou aos filhos do casal, acomodação/capacidade de proporcionar o maneio adequado, tempo despendido com o animal, capacidade financeira, etc. Ora, nem sempre os interesses humanos se compatibilizam com o bem-estar animal, existindo nesses casos um conflito de interesses. Na impossibilidade de concertação prática de interesses, o legislador optou por secundarizar o bem-estar animal, subordinando-o aos interesses humanos, o que acarreta diversas consequências práticas, colocando desde logo em causa o dever de assegurar o bem-estar animal previsto no artigo 1305.º-A do Cód. Civil.
The growing vision of companion animals as family members, accompanied by the scientific advances in animal sentience, has led to animal welfare being on the agenda in many legal orders, including our country. A new legal status of the animal was then created, embodied in Law No. 8/2017, March 3rd, which amended several existing laws, in particular the Civil Code, and which points towards the "non-materialization" of animals. Notwithstanding, they may still be the object of a property right, which now has a very specific content, regulated in the new article 1305-A of the Civil Code, different from property rights over things. This property right over animals is subjected to the respect for animal welfare, a concept that, although already present in other legal texts of public nature, has been transposed for the first time to the legal-civil plan. Owners must provide animals with an appropriate environment and diet, behavioral needs, company, and protect them from pain, suffering, injury, and disease. Courts have also seen their decision-making power been subjected to animal welfare in the context of determining the destination of companion animals in the event of divorce or dissolution of a de facto union, by virtue of the new Article 1793-A of the Civil Code. When deciding to whom the companion animal should be trusted, the courts should ascertain, in addition to the interests of the spouses and their children, which of the spouses is in the best position to ensure the welfare needs of the companion animal, considering several factors such as the emotional connection of the companion animal to the spouses or children, accommodation/capacity to provide proper management, time spent with the animal, financial capacity, etc. However, human interests are not always compatible with animal welfare, and there will be a conflict of interests in such cases. In the inability of reaching a concertation of interests, the legislator has chosen to subordinate animal welfare to human interests, which has several practical consequences, questioning the duty to ensure animal welfare laid down in Article 1305-A of the Civil Code.
The growing vision of companion animals as family members, accompanied by the scientific advances in animal sentience, has led to animal welfare being on the agenda in many legal orders, including our country. A new legal status of the animal was then created, embodied in Law No. 8/2017, March 3rd, which amended several existing laws, in particular the Civil Code, and which points towards the "non-materialization" of animals. Notwithstanding, they may still be the object of a property right, which now has a very specific content, regulated in the new article 1305-A of the Civil Code, different from property rights over things. This property right over animals is subjected to the respect for animal welfare, a concept that, although already present in other legal texts of public nature, has been transposed for the first time to the legal-civil plan. Owners must provide animals with an appropriate environment and diet, behavioral needs, company, and protect them from pain, suffering, injury, and disease. Courts have also seen their decision-making power been subjected to animal welfare in the context of determining the destination of companion animals in the event of divorce or dissolution of a de facto union, by virtue of the new Article 1793-A of the Civil Code. When deciding to whom the companion animal should be trusted, the courts should ascertain, in addition to the interests of the spouses and their children, which of the spouses is in the best position to ensure the welfare needs of the companion animal, considering several factors such as the emotional connection of the companion animal to the spouses or children, accommodation/capacity to provide proper management, time spent with the animal, financial capacity, etc. However, human interests are not always compatible with animal welfare, and there will be a conflict of interests in such cases. In the inability of reaching a concertation of interests, the legislator has chosen to subordinate animal welfare to human interests, which has several practical consequences, questioning the duty to ensure animal welfare laid down in Article 1305-A of the Civil Code.
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Keywords
Bem-estar animal Direito de propriedade sobre animais Fixação do destino dos animais de companhia Conflito de interesses Animal welfare Property rights over animals Determination of the destination of companion animals Conflict of interests