New animal welfare legislation came into force in Croatia on Tuesday increasing punishments for the abandonment of domestic pets and for cruelty to animals.
An amendment of the country’s Penal Code has now made abandoning an animal a criminal offence punishable by up to 2 years in prison, as well as increasing penalties for causing unnecessary pain or suffering, killing or abusing animals.
Under the new legislation, individuals who abandon any animal they are responsible for will face imprisonment for up to one year. If the abandonment results in the death of an animal or involves the abandonment of multiple animals, the perpetrator could be sentenced to up to two years in prison.
The changes come after Croatian animal welfare activists lobbied the Ministry of Justice to amend the criminal code. “We are extremely grateful to the ministry for accepting our proposals and thereby taking a historic step forward in protecting animals in Croatia, which will have a positive impact everywhere in the world,” the Animal Friends Association said in a statement.
Animal abandonment can now be directly reported to the police or municipal prosecutor's office, rather than to veterinary inspectors. This streamlined process aims to expedite responses and facilitate the prosecution of offenders. It also serves as a deterrent against animal abandonment, as individuals are now aware that they risk imprisonment and may take the long-term care of animals into consideration before acquiring one.
Ivana Crnoja, one of the founders of the Pobjede (Victories) association, which runs the Osijek Asylum, a shelter for abandoned dogs near Osijek in eastern Croatia, said she hopes the new law will change societal awareness.
“Having a dog does not mean having it for the holidays. It means you are responsible for it from the first day until its death. Whoever can’t do that, shouldn’t have a dog,” she added.