An Italian woman has been granted two days’ paid leave in order to look after her dog who needed medical attention.

Paid leave for her dog’s surgery

The dog needed urgent medical care, and his owner, Anna, an employee at Sapienza University in Rome, couldn’t stand to see him suffer.

However, when Anna had to take the dog to the vets instead of going to work, her employers initially wrote this off as holiday leave.

Thanks to support from animal advocacy group LAV (Lega Anti Vivisezione), she later won a legal battle that meant the days off now fall under the category of “serious or family personal reasons”. Her employer was then obligated to grant her pay for this.

Animals as true members of the family

In order to justify their reasoning, Anna and her lawyers referenced the Italian law that prosecutes anyone who abandons an animal to great suffering. They can be jailed for up to a year or fined up to €10,000.

Many are calling this a great achievement, stating that it is a step forward in the fight for animal rights. It shows that pets are beginning to be seen as true members of the family.

Do you think this should be the law in your country?

2 comments

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    Moira M Yes this is great news I hope all was well for the dog but pets no matter what breed are part of the family and need healthier from time to time the same as humans

    Haleema B That's wonderful because pets are also family and very important .