📜 5 Legal Victories That Changed Animal Protection in Italy (And Who Made Them Possible)

The law can be compassionate — when someone fights to change it

Animal protection in Italy has always been slow, fragmented, and at times ignored. But in the last twenty years, thanks to the tireless work of activists, lawyers, politicians, and citizens, significant progress has been made.

From courtrooms to Parliament, these five legal victories have changed the lives of millions of animals and continue to transform the ethical landscape of our country.

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1. 🦁 The Brambilla Law: farewell to wild animals in circuses

One of the most important reforms came in December 2022, when Italy approved a law that banned the use of wild animals in circuses and traveling shows. This breakthrough was made possible primarily thanks to the commitment of Michela Vittoria Brambilla and the Parliamentary Intergroup for Animal Rights.

However, the law is not yet enforceable: the implementing decree, which should define its methods and entry into force, is still missing. To date, the deadline for adopting the decree has been postponed several times, most recently to December 31, 2026. This means that, despite formal approval, wild animals in circuses are still legally permitted in Italy. Numerous associations (including LAV, Enpa, and Animalisti Italiani) and over 240,000 signatory citizens are asking the government to honor its commitment and truly stop the use of animals in circuses.

The concrete risk is that, without public pressure, the law will remain a dead letter for years to come.

📰 Source: Il Sole 24 Ore – Animals removed from circuses

The law, if implemented, would put an end to decades of suffering for tigers, lions, elephants, and other animals forced to perform in unnatural and often cruel conditions.

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2. 🐶 The Green Hill case and the birth of a movement

In 2012, the Green Hill breeding facility, which supplied beagles for vivisection, was shut down thanks to national protests, legal actions, and undercover investigations. The case led to:

• The seizure of over 2,600 dogs
• The conviction of administrators for mistreatment
• A cultural shift on the issue of animal experimentation

Promoted by LAV and supported by hundreds of thousands of citizens, this legal battle made history, opening a new front for animal rights in research.

📖 LAV – Green Hill: the story

3. 🧥 Italy says goodbye to mink farms (2022)

With a historic vote, the Italian Parliament approved in 2021 the definitive ban on fur animal farms, which led to the closure of the last active facilities by January 2022.

A victory achieved after years of campaigns carried out by Essere Animali, Humane Society International, and OIPA.

📑 OIPA – Italy permanently closes fur farms

Italy has thus become one of the first countries in Europe to take a clear stance against the fur industry, for both ethical and health reasons.

4. 🧾 Animal protection enters the Constitution (2022)

In February 2022, Article 9 of the Italian Constitution was amended to include:

“The Republic protects the environment, biodiversity, and ecosystems, also in the interest of future generations. State law regulates the ways and forms of animal protection.”

An epochal step that recognizes, for the first time, animals as subjects worthy of constitutional protection.

📘 Gazzetta Ufficiale – Constitutional Law 1/2022

5. 🐖 Transport and slaughterhouses: justice for the invisible

In the last ten years, several criminal convictions have been issued against transporters and slaughterhouses guilty of violating EC Regulation 1/2005 on animal welfare during transport. The most common infringements:

• Overloaded trucks
• Lack of water, food, or ventilation
• Illegal slaughter practices

Many of these proceedings arose thanks to ENPA, LAV, and investigative journalists.

🧠 Related: From cages to freedom: how European legislation is changing animal farming

Why these achievements matter

These victories remind us that change is never spontaneous: it is the result of legal strategy, public pressure, political courage, and moral stubbornness.

And they show that the law can evolve along with collective consciousness.

🙋♀️ Learn more: Why sanctuaries are essential for the animal rights movement

More than laws: a cultural shift

Every victory is a step towards a culture in which animals are not property, but sentient individuals. And where protection is no longer an exception, but a rule.

In our sanctuary, we honor these achievements as proof that compassion can become law.

And we will continue to fight for this to happen more and more often.