El Ciudadano
Original article: La ultraderecha perdió y avanzó la causa animalista: Republicanos, UDI y PNL lideraron el rechazo a la prohibición de las carreras de perros
Far-Right Loses Ground as Animal Rights Movement Gains Momentum: Republicans, UDI, and PNL Oppose Ban on Dog Racing
The far-right has faced a setback as the animal rights cause makes progress, following the approval on Tuesday by the Chamber of Deputies of a bill that bans dog racing throughout the country, while dismissing a parallel initiative aimed at regulating this practice.
With 80 votes in favor and 41 against, the proposal to amend Law No. 21.020 on responsible pet ownership and companion animals to prohibit and penalize «any dog racing, regardless of breed, across the national territory», has moved forward to its second constitutional process, despite the opposition from members of the Republican Party, the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) and the National Libertarian Party (PNL).
APPROVED
| The Assembly supports the project amending Law No. 21.020 regarding responsible pet ownership and companion animals to prohibit and penalize dog racing.
It returns to the Environment Commission for further recommendations. pic.twitter.com/gsekqDuVnh
— Deputies of Chile (@Camara_cl) August 19, 2026
The approved bill (Bulletin 15387-12) includes various penalties ranging from moderate imprisonment to fines between 20 and 40 monthly tax units (approximately $1,432,980 to $2,865,960) for those found organizing or participating in these races, which have historically contributed to animal abuse and suffering.
Moreover, it mandates absolute and permanent disqualification for animal ownership for those promoting, facilitating, or disseminating these activities. It also establishes fines ranging from 5 to 20 UTM ($358,245 to $1,432,980).
The initiative must return to the Environment Commission for detailed discussion, as it has received recommendations.
Meanwhile, the second proposal under discussion, which aimed to amend Law No. 20.380 to ‘regulate’ greyhound racing, was rejected by a vote of 68 against and 50 in favor, thus being archived.
Far-Right Defeat
During the session, two opposing views clashed in the Chamber, but the voting outcome resulted in a defeat for the 41 far-right members opposing the ban on dog racing in Chile.
Specifically, the following members from the Republican Party voted against:
- Cristian Araya
- Daniel Bustos
- Paz Carpentier
- Enrique Cassaletti (Ind-Republican bench)
- Catalina del Real
- Stephanie Jeldrez
- José Antonio Kast
- Leandro Kunstmann
- Benjamín Lorca
- José Carlos Meza
- Cristián Menchaca (Ind-Republican bench)
- Benjamín Moreno
- Alejandro Riquelme
- Javiera Rodríguez
- Agustín Romero
- Felipe Ross
- Luis Sánchez
- Stephan Schubert
- Ignacio Urcullú
- Fernando Ugarte
- Diego Vergara
- Valentina Becerra
Members of the UDI who opposed the dog racing ban:
- Jorge Alessandri
- Jaime Coloma
- Eduardo Cretton
- Constanza Hube
- Daniel Lilayú
- Cristóbal Martínez
- Ricardo Neumann
- Marco Antonio Sulantay
PNL deputies who voted against the project:
- Cristóbal Urruticoechea
- Germán Verdugo
- Alvaro Jofré
- Pier Karlezi
- Paulina Muñoz
- Gloria Naveillán
Others who also voted against:
- Juan Carlos Beltrán (RN)
- René García (RN)
- Ximena Ossandón (RN)
- Rodrigo Ramírez (RN)
- René Alinco (Ind-FREVS).
Progress for Animal Rights Cause
The approval of the project has been described by the Animal Rights and Defense group as «good news,» and in a message shared on social media, its members highlighted that behind the vote in the Chamber «lie years of suffering that thousands of dogs did not choose, as well as «forced training, fractures, doping, and abandonment.»
«The fight continues, but today we have taken a significant step towards finally ending this activity that does not represent the vast majority of Chileans,» they stated.
From Galgo Libre Chile, rescuer and activist Luis Martínez, thanked all citizens and organizations that have participated in the fight to ban dog racing in Chile.
«Thank you all, this victory belongs to each and every one who fought in the streets, in every corner of Chile, and to all the organizations that have rescued a greyhound. We have one more step to take, and we are going to achieve it,» he stated in a video shared on his Instagram account.
«Thanks to all the deputies who have supported us throughout this journey, to everyone who represented us in Parliament today. We did it,» Martínez emphasized.
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