Imagine your dog suddenly falls seriously ill and you have to choose between work and caring for your pet. Italy has just resolved this dilemma, becoming the first country in the world to grant paid leave to care for sick or injured animals.
The origins of the landmark ruling
🚨 AMAZING!
Italy is becoming the first country in the world to offer paid leave to care for sick or injured animals 🙏🏻
In 2017, an employee of La Sapienza University in Rome fought for two days of paid leave. Her 12-year-old English setter was suffering from laryngeal paralysis and needed urgent surgery.
The woman had no one to help her, so she turned to LAV, an Italian animal rights organisation. They cited Article 727 of the Criminal Code, which carries a penalty of up to one year in prison for leaving an animal in a state of serious suffering.
The court recognised caring for a pet as a „serious personal or family reason”. The employer granted the leave – the first such case in the world.
How does the law work in practice?
To take leave, an employee must provide a veterinarian’s certificate confirming the animal’s sudden health problem. The leave is treated like that for caring for a sick family member.
- It requires urgent medical intervention (surgery, constant supervision).
- It applies to domestic animals registered as „family members”.
- Employers cannot refuse, because caring for an animal is the owner’s legal obligation.
This is not a full statute but a precedent based on Italy’s strict anti-cruelty law. In 2026, the media stress that this practice is becoming more established.
