On April 13, 2023, a group of members of Slovenian Parliament submitted a proposal for amendments of the Animal Protection Act (hereinafter: “Proposed Amendment“). Proposed Amendment is currently in the second reading within the Parliament.
The key goal of the Proposed Amendment, which was received rather negatively by the Veterinary Chamber of Slovenia, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Slovenian farmers, is to strengthen the responsible ownership of animals as sentient beings, to reduce the number of abandoned and mistreated animals, and to deepen the awareness of the values of the animal welfare.
The Proposed Amendment is addressing implementation of the following legislative solutions:
- establishment of transitional stables for confiscated animals;
- establishment of the active cooperation of associations that work in the public interest in advising animal owners and cooperation with supervisory authorities through appointed advisors for animal protection;
- assigning the status of “working animals” to therapy dogs;
- enforcement of mandatory marking of cats;
- establishment of the legal basis for mobile slaughterhouses;
- complete ban on tying dogs;
- establishment of mandatory internal video surveillance in slaughterhouses;
- establishment of a specialized inspection for animal protection;
- enactment of gross negligence as animal cruelty;
- broadening of the definition of animal cruelty, which can also be committed through gross negligence;
- prohibition of the use of all animals for circus performances.
Views with respect to the Proposed Amendment were addressed also by the Government at its 96th correspondence meeting. Slovenian Government generally supports the proposal and encourages general discussion of Proposed Amendment within the Parliament. However, it expressed that some of the proposed legislative solutions are underregulated and should be addressed more comprehensively. Government also emphasized that general discussion should include experts, professional institutions and associations and therefore enable a comprehensive confrontation of all arguments.
