Dogs should be looked after like children when people take them out for a walk or in the car, Italy's Supreme Court said Tuesday.
Ruling in the case of a drunk man who slammed his dog's leash in his car door and dragged it for about a kilometre before realising the animal wasn't in the car, the Court said: "animals, whether led on the leash or transported in vehicles, demand the same care and attention that are normally paid to minors".
The Cassation Court rejected the man's appeal against a lower court's fine of 200 euros for mistreating the dog.
But it let him off the fine because the 2003 case had taken too long to go through Italy's lengthy appeals system.
The dog survived its misadventure and is still with the man despite petitions by Italy's Anti-Vivisection League (LAV), the country's main organisation against cruelty to animals.
Italy is one of the most advanced countries in the world in the defence of animals.
Earlier this year, in the latest pro-animal move, the government issued a new charter protecting animals from exploitation on television.
The charter bans any use of animals on TV which goes against their nature, violates their dignity or subjects them to stress or violence.
So circuses in which wild animals perform tricks must no longer be screened.
The document calls for all forms of circus entertainment with wild animals to be gradually phased out.
LAV said the charter also means that the use of wild beasts as 'decoration' on TV shows will be stopped too.
Britain and Australia are the only other states to have introduced guidelines similar to those contained in the Italian charter.
PRAISE FROM PETA.
Last year Italy won praise from American animal rights' group PETA for its pioneering efforts to create a happier and more humane world for animals.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals singled out laws adopted by various cities.
Rome was cited for its legislation against keeping goldfish in bowls and using fish as prizes at amusement parks and fairs.
Other laws praised by PETA included one demanding that dogs be taken out at least three times a day and a ban on cutting dogs' tails and ears for aesthetic reasons.
Turin wages fines of up to 500 euros on dog owners who do not take their pets out at least three times a day.
Reggio Emilia received a special mention from PETA for its law against boiling live lobsters.
"Italy is showing the rest of the world how animals should be treated. The world would be a better place if other countries followed its example," PETA said.
In August 2004, Italy passed a tough law against animal abuse which included hefty fines and jail terms of between three and 18 months for a range of crimes against animals.
While dumping, torturing or killing animals has been outlawed in Italy for many years, the 2004 legislation also criminalized keeping animals in conditions that cause unnecessary suffering or forcing them to behave in a way "incompatible with their instincts".
While Italy's legislation may be progressive, some national animals rights' groups believe the country still has a long way to go.
For example, the abandonment of dogs during the summer holidays, when owners have trouble finding someone to look after their pets, is still a big problem.
Campaigners are also unhappy about the use of animals in laboratory tests and the lack of clear labelling on fur clothes and other items made from animal skins.
Animalisti Italiani claimed that around 90,000 lynx skins, 200,000 fox skins, 6,000 seal skins and dozens of wolf, lion, zebra and bear skins were imported into Italy in the last few years to meet the demands of the fashion world.
