It’s always good to be able to report any new positive steps for how animals are treated by the law and our society. In some recent good news, an Italian court was able to consider a sick dog as a family member. Though this was just one animal, it means another big stride for how we view animals legally and how our culture views them in relation to humans. In American law, courts have recently started to recognize pets as more than property when it comes to things like divorce. One of the biggest obstacles to freeing animals is our culture’s deeply embedded understanding of them as chattels to humans. Every decision that changes the law in this regard is a big win for animals.
The woman had the help of lawyers from the Italian Anti-Vivisection Leage (LAV), one of the biggest animal rights groups in Europe. The decision rested partly on a provision in Italy’s penal code that provides for people who abandon an animal to “grave suffering” to be jailed for a year and fined up to €10,000. The woman was able to get a pay allowance for absences related to “serious or family personal reasons” to look after her red setter, who was undergoing a serious operation. You can visit sites like the ADLF to learn more about legally protecting animals in the US:

Animal Protection Laws of the United States of America and Canada

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41594224
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/oct/12/italian-woman-sick-pay-leave-time-off-look-after-ill-dog