New laws include hefty fines and jail time.The Italian senate on Thursday definitively approved a bill that introduces tougher penalties for animal abuse, including steeper fines and longer jail sentences.The bill, which was approved by the lower house last November, also introduces new crimes relating to the mistreatment of animals. Significantly, the new legislation redefines animals as subjects, with rights to be protected, in an effort to directly safeguard their well-being through legal mechanisms. Under the new laws, those who kill an animal can be imprisoned for six months to four years and face a fine of up to €60,000 if the act is committed using torture or deliberately prolonging the animal's suffering. (Until now the maximum prison sentence for this crime was three years and a fine up to €30,000). In addition, penalties may be further increased by a third, if one of three aggravating circumstances applies: if the acts are committed in the presence of minors; against multiple animals; or if footage of the crime is shared online. Italy gets tough with motorists who abandon dogs by the roadside Those who organise events or competitions in which animals are subjected to violence can be fined up to €30,000 (double the previous maximum fine), while those who stage animal fights risk two to four years of imprisonment. Puppy trafficking can now be punished with imprisonment from four to 18 months and a fine from €6,000 to €30,000. In another fundamental change, it now becomes illegal to tether a dog to a chain outside. The first signatory of the bill was that of MP and animal rights activist Michela Vittoria Brambilla who described the new law as "a huge victory for Italy and for all those who love animals and want to see them respected." "A law that has been awaited for more than 20 years, which finally increases the penalties for those who commit atrocious crimes against animals" - Brambilla said - "essentially putting an end to the almost total impunity that has reigned until now."

The Italian senate on Thursday definitively approved a bill that introduces tougher penalties for animal abuse, including steeper fines and longer jail sentences. The bill, which was approved by the lower house last November, also introduces new crimes relating to the mistreatment of animals. Significantly, the new legislation redefines animals as subjects, with rights to be protected, in an effort to directly safeguard their well-being through legal mechanisms. Under the new laws, those who kill an animal can be imprisoned for six months to four years and face a fine of up to €60,000 if the act is committed using torture or deliberately prolonging the animal's suffering. (Until now the maximum prison sentence for this crime was three years and a fine up to €30,000). In addition, penalties may be further increased by a third, if one of three aggravating circumstances applies: if the acts are committed in the presence of minors; against multiple animals; or if footage of the crime is shared online.

• Italy gets tough with motorists who abandon dogs by the roadside

Those who organise events or competitions in which animals are subjected to violence can be fined up to €30,000 (double the previous maximum fine), while those who stage animal fights risk two to four years of imprisonment. Puppy trafficking can now be punished with imprisonment from four to 18 months and a fine from €6,000 to €30,000. In another fundamental change, it now becomes illegal to tether a dog to a chain outside. The first signatory of the bill was that of MP and animal rights activist Michela Vittoria Brambilla who described the new law as "a huge victory for Italy and for all those who love animals and want to see them respected." "A law that has been awaited for more than 20 years, which finally increases the penalties for those who commit atrocious crimes against animals" - Brambilla said - "essentially putting an end to the almost total impunity that has reigned until now."