Unusual act: Spanish town grants cats, dogs equal rights as humans

Madrid, July 23: In an unusual move, a Spanish town has granted granted equal rights to dogs and cats as humans, media reported on Thursday.

Trigueros del Valle in Spain, with population of just 300 people, has become the first municipality in the country to guarantee the rights of dogs and cats as citizens of the town.

The council voted unanimously to define dogs and cats as "non-human residents", giving them rights similar to men and women, The Independent.ie reported.

Pedro J Pérez Espinosa, the socialist mayor of the town in the León province of Valladolid, said the so-called Renedo Declaration was voted in during a plenary session on Monday.

"Dogs and cats have been living among us for over a thousand years," Espinosa said.

"And the mayor must represent not just the human residents but must also be here for the others."

The animal bill of rights was approved unanimously by the town's council.

It comprises 13 articles including statements such as "all residents are born equal and have the same right to existence" and "a resident, whether human or non-human, is entitled to respect".

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