The “Teguise pact” may be the most important consequence of the huge outpouring of concern following the killing of the street dog Timple in July.
Timple died of suffocation after a Costa Teguise couple tied and bound his muzzle with tape. The couple received suspended four-month prison sentences, but video footage of the dog’s death throes created a social media outcry.
A demonstration in Arrecife on 17th August was suspended after fears that it would become too crowded to guarantee health measures. However, a large parade of vehicles passed through Arrecife in support of Timple, and 120,000 viewers tuned into a broadcast from the steps of Teguise Ayuntamiento, in which representatives of animal associations demanded changes in the law that would stop animals being regarded as property and recognise them as sentient beings, as well as tougher penalties for animal cruelty.
