Animal rights groups and pet store owners held separate demonstrations Sunday to protest a new animal protection law proposed by the Spanish government that seeks to advance animal rights protections, AP reported.

The bill drew criticism from animal rights groups after a last-minute amendment excluded hunting dogs from the law's protection, which was in line with the demands of the hunting lobby.

Thousands marched in Madrid and dozens of other Spanish cities to urge the government to return hunting dogs to the law, which increases fines for animal cruelty to 200,000 euros and introduces a possible two-year prison sentence for the most serious cases.

Pet store owners also protested, saying they would be forced to close their businesses under the new law because it allows only licensed breeders to sell cats, dogs and ferrets. Thousands of jobs will be lost, they said, and the black market for pets and exotic animals will grow.