AnimaNaturalis has filed a formal complaint with the Territorial Services of the Department of the Interior of the Government of Catalonia against the City Council of La Ràpita over the celebration of the 20th National Bou amb Corda Congress, held between September 25 and 28, 2025, outside the dates legally authorized for traditional bull-related festivities.
According to the complaint, the events held during this Congress do not fall within any of the legally recognized traditional festivities in the municipality, an essential requirement for authorizing this type of spectacle. Law 34/2010 of October 1, which regulates traditional festivals involving bulls, clearly establishes that such events may only be held in localities and on dates where they have traditionally taken place, coinciding with major festivals, popular celebrations, or other events of special significance.
In the case of La Ràpita, the only festivities authorized for bull-related celebrations are the Festa Major (July), the Festivities of Mare de Déu de la Ràpita, and the Festivities of Mare de Déu del Carme, both held in early September. However, the 20th National Bou amb Corda Congress took place at the end of September, after these festivities had already concluded.
"The law does not allow the discretionary extension or shifting of the dates on which bull-related events are held. Organizing bull spectacles outside the officially recognized traditional festivities constitutes a breach of the essential conditions of the administrative authorization", explains Aïda Gascón, director of AnimaNaturalis in Spain.
A congress without legal coverage
The organization also points out that the institutional promotion of the Congress never indicated that the event was integrated into a major festival or any specific traditional celebration, instead presenting it as a standalone event. This further reinforces the lack of legal coverage for holding bull-related festivities.
This detail is particularly relevant from a legal standpoint, as it shows that the City Council did not attempt to link the event to any of the authorized traditional festivities, but rather organized it as an independent occasion dedicated exclusively to the practice of bou amb corda, a traditional bull-related modality in some Catalan municipalities.
Under Article 13 of Law 34/2010, organizing or holding bull-related events without complying with the conditions of the authorization constitutes a serious infringement, punishable by fines ranging from €601 to €60,000 and, where applicable, disqualification from participating in bull-related events for a period of up to two years, pursuant to Article 15 of the same law.
"The regulations governing bull-related events are restrictive, not symbolic. Their purpose is to limit this type of spectacle and ensure strict oversight of their celebration. Ignoring the authorized dates empties the law of its substance and represents a clear violation of the current legal framework", Gascón emphasizes.
Preliminary proceedings underway
AnimaNaturalis has formally requested the opening of the corresponding sanctioning proceedings and has asked to be recognized as an interested party in the procedure, with the aim of monitoring the case and ensuring that responsibilities are duly established. According to information obtained by the organization, a preliminary investigative file has already been opened to clarify the circumstances of the events and identify those responsible.
This step marks the beginning of an administrative process that could result in financial penalties for the La Ràpita city council and, potentially, restrictions on the organization of future bull-related events in the municipality. The procedure will determine whether a breach of current regulations occurred and, if so, establish the corresponding legal consequences.
The complaint filed by AnimaNaturalis highlights the importance of strict compliance with legislation governing events involving animals. In Catalonia, Law 34/2010 marked a turning point in the regulation of bull festivities following the ban on bullfighting in 2010, establishing a restrictive framework that limits such events to very specific contexts linked to local tradition.
Commitment to enforcing the law
"Events involving animals cannot be organized outside the law or normalized as parallel cultural events. Respect for legality is a minimum requirement for any public administration", concludes the director of AnimaNaturalis.
This case in La Ràpita is part of a broader monitoring effort carried out by AnimaNaturalis across the territory to ensure that animal protection regulations are effectively enforced. The organization actively works to detect irregularities in events that use animals, filing complaints when it identifies legal violations and demanding that public administrations act rigorously in applying the corresponding sanctions.
Beyond monitoring compliance with existing laws, AnimaNaturalis remains committed to continuing to improve these regulations day by day, with the ultimate goal of moving toward a total ban on spectacles and traditions that use and exploit animals—not only in Spain, but worldwide. Every complaint, every sanctioning procedure, and every legal step represents progress toward building a more just and respectful society for all sentient beings, where culture and tradition are not sustained by animal suffering.
