Animal abusers in Greece can now receive sentences of up to 10 years in prison, on top of higher fines for their cruel actions.
The Greek Parliament unanimously passed new legislation increasing animal cruelty penalties, which will make it easier to prosecute people who harm animals.
“Society can no longer accept such acts,” said Agriculture Minister Makis Voridis, who introduced the law, according to GreekReporter.com.
Under the new law, abuse involves poisoning, hanging, burning, and mutilating animals. New fines for animal abuse will range from 5,000 to 15,000 euros, reported The National Herald.
Now, individuals can also be fined for abandoning pets among other actions that risk an animal’s well-being.
This new law arrives after two recent animal cruelty cases sparked a national outcry in the country.
In one case, a teacher was accused of beating and stabbing a defenseless dog. Thankfully, the dog has recovered and since been adopted.
In the other case, a 55-year old man in Crete hanged his dog from a tree after castrating him with pliers. The dog was saved after a passer-by stepped in to rescue him. After hours of intensive surgery, this dog is also recovering.
Animal cruelty is a serious offense that has been linked to domestic violence and other violent crimes toward humans. Lady Freethinker applauds Greece for taking a more appropriate stance against these abhorrent actions.
What’s New…
GREECE DRAMATICALLY INCREASES ANIMAL CRUELTY PENALTIES TO 10-YEAR MAXIMUM. Its about time The USA does the same.
I am glad if Greece sticks to this laws and punishment. I always wanted to go to Greece, but then saw how street cats were treated by them and at the holiday islands like Corfu. While the tourists is there, they do nothing, but when tourists leave, they poison the cats. They will even hit it with their cars and dogs are also not spared. So I can really not believe this new punishment, so Greece will never see me as a tourist!
THANK YOU GREECE. I hope the rest of the world will learn something from your good actions you have taken when protecting the most vulnerable species on the planet and that is the ANIMALS.
Lets hope this new law is enforced as Greece is NOT particularly known for their kindness to animals, dogs in particular suffer untold abuse, torture and killing in the most horrific ways. Perhaps the ignorant masses should be educated as well as the dumped dogs do NOT appear by magic, and the Greek masses do not believe in spay/neuter for their dogs, so when they are dumped they can breed indiscriminately.
You are 100% correct. Spay and neuter will help, but they are so ignorant!
Bravo Greece👏.
Thank you Greece – Cruelty to animals exists everywhere and this is a major step. I hope the rest of the world follows. Thank you I am of Greek descent.
This is wonderful and unexpected news for a country with so much cruelty. Congratulations.
Very good, Greece, I am so proud of you and your compassion towards God‘s creations. I also pray that this law of punishment includes all animals, both tame and wild. You have set the precedence for all countries to follow and I pray more will have the kind of compassion and care for animals as you do. Kudos and two-thumbs up to Greece.
I hope this new law includes all the cats that are abused, tortured, poisoned, ,and slaughtered.
The examples given are dogs, as usual. Too many cat killings to include them?
If you love animals, you fight for them ALL. .
I agree with you. Just look at the Corfu cats. Street cats are just poison. I really don’t believe this new law. Greece will stay an evil place that I will never ever visit due to the way they treat cats.
ashamed of you who do these Horrific acts of violence to these innocent animals, God Sees and hears STOP this Act! ANIMALS re pets Not To BE Abuesed! StOP!
Stop killing animals they are pets Not to be Beaten to death , those who do this Evil should be. A a g a med of your selves God is watching! HE SEES YOUR HORRIFIC ACT!
Thank you! God bless everyone who cares for innocent animals.
Great! Punish anyone who abuses animals!
Not enough, but it’s a start.
Thank you to the Greek government for their compassion.
Great and well done Greece. Sahme the UK can’t do the same with its pathetic animal welfare laws. The Government comes out with all this rhetoric we have the best animal welfare standards in the World. We may have words written in Acts of Parliament – few laws are ever enacted – instead leaving to an already stretched RSPCA and other charities to bring prosecutions.
Shame on the UK Government!
Well done to the Greek agriculture minister , I have to say it’s about time someone showed courage and empathy and stepped in to change the situation there. I vowed last time I visited it would be the last as I saw some terrible attitudes to the cats there,I stuck to my promise and haven’t returned. , Unfortunately the Greeks hadn’t appeared to move forward in their care of animals from my first visit there 30 years ago.
Let’s hope the Authorities move on further and stop the poisonings of.cats once the holiday season ends, these cats endure the most horrific painful deaths. I was told by a Greek lady that you could tell the cats Owned cats because the top of one or both ears are cut of by their owner’s !
Lets hope the future brings more kindness by developing a sterilisation programme for the many thousands of stray cats in Greece.
Thank you, El, for including cats in your comment.
I’m with you – getting tired of cats being excluded in most animal abuse cases.
They suffer and die horrible deaths just like any dog.
Maybe more so, because it’s “only a cat”.
APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! to Greece law makers for acting with common sense, on behalf of defenseless victims. I hope they can also see their way to banning animal ownership to any known drug personality. Drug use is the #1 reason humans loose control over their ability to manage their anger, and when an animal is involved in the druggies life, the animal is going to pay a high price. Unfortunately, the tragic acts of animal cruelty and murder that make the news are just the tip of the iceberg.
ALL COUNTRIES MUST INSTITUTE HARSH HARSH PUNISHMENT FOR ALL ANIMAL ABUSERS!!!!
About damn time!!!
Bunch of Sick Fucking Greeks, hurting aniamls…
CONGRATULATIONS TO GREECE. ALL COUNTRIES
SHOULD FOLLOW THE GREEK EXAMPLE.
I’m so glad Greece has taken this giant step to help stop animal cruelty, with punishment for these crimes
You are a truly SUPERIOR and much-evolved country. The world can learn from your compassion and intelligence. Thank you, beautiful, Greece.
Wow! Let’s ship animal abusers over there and then….
Thank you Greece for taking those crimes seriously as it should. Those two stories are horrible but the one with the pliers is absolutely the most gruesome story I ever heard. He could have just kill the dog quickly but he want the dog to suffer. I can’t stop the tears from flowing down my face. A grotesque creature like that should not go to jail but executed in front of a firing squad as he’s not human, he’s worthless and a grave danger to society. I just wish that new law would have passed when those dirt bags did those atrocities to those poor animals. But now, the would be torturers will have to “think” twice about hurting animals for their own pleasure. More countries should follow suit to this compassionate and conscience-full law.
Helene, I totally agree with you, except for the suggested punishment. When humans abuse defenseless animals because of inability to control their anger or they are psychopathic, I would like to see the punishment cause the abuser GREAT pain. In this case, I think it would be fitting to castrate the abuser with with nut cutters without the use of any meds, and then let him suffer on his own..