Costa Rica Animal Rights March
Pet owners gather at the Plaza de la Democracia to support laws that punish animal abusers. Reuters

Thousands of protesters marched down Second Avenue in San Jose, Costa Rica on Sunday in support of two bills that target animal abuse. The bills, which would punish animal abusers, have stalled in the Legislative Assembly. Animal lovers marched on Sunday in the hopes of drawing attention to the issue.

Over 12,000 people marched and then gathered at Plaza de la Democracia with their pets to show support for the two bills. Dogs, cats and even a pig joined their owners for a celebration at the Plaza honoring all animals.

Sunday's march was the fifth protest held in the last few years. Demonstrators want to see action taken against those who would hurt and abuse animals. Sunday's march was meant to get Congress and the Environment Committee to get the ball moving on the two bills waiting to be examined.

Costa Rica has large numbers of abused animals in shelters. This year alone ZooAve, a non-profit shelter for abused and injured animals, took in 4,000 wild animals. A large number of the animals taken in by the shelter received their injuries from a human.

According to various media reports, over the past few months Costa Rican animals had been attacked with machetes, shot, burned and mutilated. Other cases include neglect and abandonment. Currently there is no law on the books in Costa Rica criminalizing animal abuse.

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