The Statute of Autonomy of the Canary Islands is the first one that includes, within the Title on Citizenâ??s Rights, a mandate to the Public Administration to safeguard animal welfare, acknowledging that animals feel an have the right not to be used in activities that entail mistreatment or cruelty. This article analyses the implementation of that legal mandate, which is based on the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union reference to animals as sentient beings, and introduces a consideration about the possibility and opportunity of regarding animals as rights holders.