Animal law

Turkish customs officials in the northwestern city of Edirne discovered dozens of exotic animals being smuggled into Turkey from Greece.

Shocking images of animal cruelty have emerged from the island of Kefalonia, where an unknown perpetrator killed a fox, strapped it to two pieces of wood shaped like a crucifix and then hung it from a tree near a main road.

The gruesome spectacle was spotted by a local resident, who published photographs of it on social media.

Supreme Court deputy prosecutor Anastasia Masoura intervened on Monday in an animal torture case, in which a pet dog died after abuse in the mountain town of Arachova, Boeotia. 

Masoura instructed an urgent preliminary investigation to identify the perpetrator. 

A program to train at least one police officer in every police station in the country in animal rights issues will begin on Wednesday.

The officers will be trained to deal with cases related to animal abuse, be they strays, pets, working or game animals, exotic species and others, the police said.

A new platform providing citizens and animal welfare organizations free legal guidance and court representation through a specialized network of lawyers regarding animal abuse cases has been set up by the Dogs' Voice nonprofit organization. 

The initiative includes the first animal law workshop with the participation of students and professors from Greece's three law schools.

The owner of a donkey on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos was arrested on Monday on charges of animal cruelty, in the area of Plomari, local media reports said.

The unnamed suspect is accused of hobbling the donkey by tying its legs together, a practice known as "pastouroma" that is strictly prohibited under animal welfare law, as it can lead to serious injuries and even death.

Animal rights activists have held a rally in the capital Ankara to raise awareness about the increasing cruelty to animals.

Animal rights activists protested cruelty to animals by whistling, while they also unfurled banners with the expressions "stop reproduction" and "don't touch my dog."

Bulgaria urgently needs political measures to stop violence against animals

One brutal example happened this spring when a sadist aimed his rifle at a pregnant cat named Mila and fired a bullet at the animal. It's a miracle the cat survived. People walked past the wounded animal for one whole week and no one even brought food or water to the poor cat.

Bulgaria urgently needs political measures to stop violence against animals

At Eastertime, a sadist aimed his rifle at a pregnant cat named Mila and fired a bullet at the animal. It's a miracle the cat survived. People walked past the wounded animal for one whole week and no one even brought food or water to the poor cat.

A man who skinned two stray puppies, removed their nails and hung them last August in Hania on the island of Crete was arrested on Wednesday after he was identified by police forensics teams via DNA testing.

It was the first time police had used DNA analysis to track down a suspect connected with animal cruelty.