Imagine your dog suddenly getting seriously sick, and you have to choose between taking care of your pet. Italy has just solved this dilemma as the first country in the world, granting paid leave to care for sick or injured animals.
The Genesis of a Revolutionary Judgment
🚨 Amazing!
Italy becomes the first country in the world to offer paid leave to care for sick or injured animals 🙏🏻
W 2017 A worker at La Sapienza University in Rome fought for two days of paid leave. Her 12-year-old English setter suffered from laryngeal paralysis and required urgent surgery.
The woman had no one to help her, so she volunteered for the LAV – Italian animal rights defenders. They cited Article 727 of the Penal Code, threatening to be punished up to a year in prison for leaving an animal in a state of severe suffering.
Sąd uznał opiekę nad pupilem za “poważny powód osobisty lub rodzinny”. Pracodawca przyznał urlop – to pierwszy taki przypadek na świecie.
How does the law work in practice?
In order to take a leave of absence, the worker must provide a certificate from the veterinarian of the animal's sudden health condition. Leave is treated as one for the care of a sick family member.
- It requires urgent medical intervention (operation, permanent supervision).
- Dotyczy zwierząt domowych zarejestrowanych jako “członkowie rodziny”.
- Employers cannot refuse because care is the legal obligation of the owner.
This is not a full bill, but a precedent based on the harsh anti-harassment law of Italy. In 2026, the media stressed that this practice was strengthening.
