Croatia’s historic new animal protection laws comes into force 

(Photo: Prijatelji životinja)

ZAGREB, 2 April 2024 – Today, amendments to the Penal Code came into force, bringing long-awaited positive changes in animal protection. 

Abandonment of pets or domestic and wild animals must now be reported to the police or municipal state attorney’s office. The penalty is up to one year in prison, or up to two if the abandonment causes the animal’s death or involves abandoning a larger number of animals. 

Penalties for the criminal acts of killing and torturing animals have been increased to up to two years in prison, or up to three years if these criminal acts are committed out of greed. 

Furthermore, abusers and killers of animals can now be subject to a security measure prohibiting them from keeping or acquiring animals for one to five years.

Successful lobbying 

All these changes are proposals that Prijatelji životinja (Animal Friends Association) sent to the Ministry of Justice and Administration during the process of amending the Penal Code. 

“We are extremely grateful to the Ministry for accepting our proposals and thus making a historic step forward in animal protection in Croatia, which will have a positive impact worldwide. Our goal was to introduce provisions that will act preventively, and now it is important for everyone to act to ensure they are implemented in practice,” say Prijatelji životinja.

(Photo: Prijatelji životinja)

They explain that citizens will no longer have to wait to see if the veterinary inspection will respond to reports of abandonment; instead, they can immediately report the abandonment to the police. 

“This will expedite proceedings and facilitate proving the act of abandonment. It will also deter people from abandoning animals because they know they risk imprisonment. We also expect everyone to think carefully before acquiring an animal, considering whether they have enough money, time, and knowledge to care for it over the long term. People will also be more responsible in controlling reproduction and opt for neutering animals instead of abandoning puppies and kittens.”

Local authorities must enforce 

On the other hand, the Prijatelji životinja believe that this will encourage cities and municipalities to work concurrently to prevent animal abandonment: 

“Local authorities must enforce dog microchipping by visiting all households, which has been a legal obligation since 2017, as microchips contain data about the dog’s caretaker. Local communities that have not yet implemented this should be penalized. Additionally, they must educate the public about responsible animal care and fund the neutering of dogs and cats. Instead of abandoning animals, caretakers can help by neutering and responsibly adopting instead of purchasing.”

The increased penalties for the criminal act of killing and torturing animals will only be enforceable thanks to witness reports. Prijatelji životinja urge citizens that if they have any doubts about the process of reporting criminal and misdemeanoUr acts against animals, they can reach out to them: “Reporting is crucial for issuing a security measure prohibiting the keeping and acquisition of animals. The court can impose it on anyone who has committed a criminal act against an animal if there is a risk of them committing a similar act again.”

(Photo: Prijatelji životinja)

As of April 2, 2024, increased penalties for animal torture and killing, now up to three years in prison, have come into effect. Increasing penalties is important to prevent cases from significantly expiring. Prijatelji životinja emphasize that the new provisions of the Penal Code should drive further legislative changes, especially amendments to the Animal Protection Act and accompanying regulations. They also believe that it is crucial to establish an animal protection inspection and form an animal protection sector within the Ministry of Agriculture.

The provisions regarding animal protection in the amendments to the Penal Code can only come into practice through joint action by citizens and competent institutions. Therefore, they urge anyone with knowledge of law violations to report any animal abandonment and abuse, and more information and guidelines on how and to whom to report can be found at www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr.