Italians get sick pay for looking after their pets

A WOMAN has been allowed to claim sick pay after taking time off work to care for her unwell dog.

The animal is now recognised as part of the family in a landmark decision by a judge in the Italian courts.

The Rome academic won her case with the support of an animal rights organisation, the Italian Anti-vivisection League.

A judge decreed that her university should count her two days off as part of her allowance for absences related to “serious or family personal reasons”.

The unnamed academic, from La Sapienza University, won the case partly because of Italy’s animal rights laws, under which people who abandon an animal to “grave suffering” can be jailed for a year and fined up to €10,000 (£9,000).

Gianluca Felicetti, the president of the Italian Antivivisection League, said the ruling paved the way for pets to be recognised as “members of the family”.

“It is a significant step forward that recognises that animals that are not kept for financial gain or for their working ability are effectively members of the family,” he said.

“Now, with the necessary veterinary certification, those in the same situation will be able to cite this important precedent.”