Schools in Porteño must teach the care and protection of animals

The Buenos Aires City Legislature passed a unanimous resolution this Thursday mandating the inclusion of animal care and protection curricula in all local schools. The measure, known as the Compassion Law, received fifty-six affirmative votes with no opposition or abstentions. It applies to public and private institutions across initial, primary, secondary, and teacher training levels. The legislation aims to teach students to recognize animals as sentient beings and equip them with tools for their protection. The bill was drafted by the organization Sintientes, which was founded by actress Liz Solari and is currently presided over by Maximo Mazzocco. Legislator Emmanuel Ferrario, representing the Confidence and Development bloc, presented the initiative. Solari, who co-authored the proposal with Leonardo Barnaba, stated that compassionate children represent the promise of a peaceful and just future. In the legislative rationale, proponents cited research suggesting that cruelty toward animals in childhood serves as an early indicator of violent behavior. They argued that teaching care for animals could help prevent bullying and improve school social dynamics. The city’s Ministry of Education will define minimum content requirements for each grade level. These topics must be integrated gradually and transversally starting from five specific axes. These include recognizing animal sentience, practicing responsible care, preventing abuse, managing coexistence in public spaces through waste collection and leash use, and understanding animal health services such as vaccination and spaying. The ministry is required to train teachers, develop materials for each level, and update content based on scientific evidence in coordination with animal welfare experts. Implementation will begin once the law is promulgated and regulated. During the same session, legislators approved two additional animal welfare laws. One measure, driven by Ferrario, establishes a public service for the cremation of companion animals. This service will initially operate at the Chacarita Cemetery. It provides for individual and collective cremations with regulated fees. Free services are available for vulnerable individuals and qualifying rescue organizations. The facility must meet sanitary and environmental standards, operate on an appointment system, allow ash retrieval, and include a memorial space. Ferrario noted that the goal is to ensure families can bid farewell to pets with dignity regardless of financial status. A second norm, introduced by legislator Graciela Ocana of the same political bloc, creates a public cemetery for companion animals, also located in the Chacarita district. Following the vote, Ferrario urged the city government to implement these new laws without delay. He pointed out that despite previous approvals and regulations regarding mass sterilization policies, concrete results remain elusive. He warned that passing laws is insufficient if residents cannot access the promised services. Separately, the legislature generally approved a law modifying the driver point deduction system for traffic violations. However, detailed discussion on the specific changes was postponed to a later session. The current system involves automatic point removals, which the new legislation seeks to alter. No further details were finalized during this proceeding.