Harsher penalties for animal abuse
Poland's lower house of parliament (Sejm), on Friday sharpened the penalties for animal abuse.
According to the new law: three years, instead of two years for the killing, torture or mistreatment of animals; for those found guilty of extreme animal cruelty, the upper limit of the penalty will be increased to five years, up from three years.
The law also stipulates, among other things, that in the event of a conviction for the crime of killing or mistreatment of an animal, the court can impose a financial penalty - of PLN 1000 (EUR 242) up to PLN 100,000 (EUR 24,155) - to be paid to an animal protection agency.
The law also provides that the court will be able to order, as a punitive measure, a ban on ownership of all animals, or a specific a category of animals. The new provision also states that an animal cannot be returned to the person who harmed it.
The bill was passed with 406 MPs in favour, one against and two abstentions.
jch/ej
