Italy Enacts Strict Animal Protection Law with Severe Penalties

Rome: Hefty fines and even prison time are envisaged under a new law setting stricter rules against violence against animals in Italy. The bill’s first signatory was centre-right Noi Moderati (We Moderates) MP Michela Vittoria Brambilla, who has been campaigning for years for animal rights and firmer punishment for those who mistreat, harm, or kill them.

According to Ansa News Agency, the bill that became law with a show of hands vote dictates new rules in the relationships between animals and humans. With a fundamental novelty, animals now become subjects under the law. Among the changes introduced to the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code is one that specifies how the objective is to “directly protect animals” and no longer the “feeling for animals” on the part of human beings. Thus, as underlined in the Chamber by almost all the representatives of the majority, animals are placed “at the center of legal protection, recognizing their rights independently of our way of perceiving them.”

Among the new features introduced by the law, first and foremost is the increase in penalties. Organizers of events or competitions in which animals are subjected to violence will see their fines increased from 15,000 to 30,000 euros. In the case of animal fights, those who organize them will be punished with 2 to 4 years in prison, with fines of up to 30,000 euros for those who participate. Those who kill an animal risk prison from 6 months to 4 years and a fine of up to 60,000 euros.

Severe penalties are also introduced in the case of mistreatment, with a risk of up to 2 years in prison and no longer any alternative financial penalties. The law also introduces a ban on “killing the animals involved, who must remain in custody until the end of the trial.” There is also a total ban on using domestic cat fur for commercial purposes. From now on, it is prohibited throughout the national territory to tie dogs to a chain.

Even more attention is paid to protected species. For killing, capturing, or detaining them, arrest is provided for from 3 months to 1 year with a fine of up to 8,000 euros. Italians must also be careful about the exotic pets they keep at home, ensuring they do not fall into the prohibited species in Italy. Finally, they must pay attention to the origin of the lovable puppy they want to buy, as puppy trafficking is now punished with imprisonment from 4 to 18 months and a fine from 6,000 to 30,000 euros.