When you take responsibility for a pet, it becomes your legal and social responsibility. Your main obligations as an owner are as follows:
- Your first obligation is its health and well-being. You must have it vaccinated and given other preventive treatments for diseases. Remember that by doing so, you are not only caring for your pet, but also for yourself and others (rabies vaccination is mandatory by law, as is electronic identification by microchip). If your pet is ill, it is your obligation to try, to the best of your ability, to cure it. If this is not possible, spare it suffering and ensure a quick and painless death through euthanasia.
- It is also your obligation to keep your pet clean and free of parasites so that it is not a threat or a nuisance to other people.
Your pet must be well fed with food that is suitable for it. It is not a rubbish bin for disposing of waste. - You have the obligation and responsibility to train your dog so that it does not disturb your neighbours with its barking, behaviour in public places, etc. Respect restrictions on entry to public places and do not take your dog into any establishment that sells food.
When walking your dog in the street, keep it on a leash so that it does not disturb anyone and to avoid possible accidents. - You must prevent your dog from biting people or fighting with other dogs. If it is aggressive, muzzle it or avoid proximity to people or other dogs. If you have a female dog, during periods of heat, try to avoid other dogs by walking in less crowded areas or at different times of day, as this will prevent fights and also be more comfortable for you.
- When your dog relieves itself in the street, make sure it does so in the appropriate places, away from areas where people walk and where children play. In any case, you should pick up after your dog and dispose of its waste where it will not cause pollution or bother anyone.
Finally, if you get tired of your dog (which is wrong) or for any other reason you have to get rid of it, do not abandon it under any circumstances. Try to find it a new owner and, if this is not possible, take it to an animal shelter.
