Abstract

Chilean animal law is based on a principle, which we call the animal welfare protection principle. This principle is obtained by induction, from the systematic analysis of current regulations, the study of the legislator's purposes, and the evolution that law has undergone in this area. This principle fulfills several relevant functions, such as serving as a parameter of interpretation, a tool to solve antinomies, and as a criticism of current law. At the same time, it also allows us to better understand the transition that the Chilean system has experienced, which has gone from a purely proprietary approach to one more focused on the protection of animal welfare.