New Colombian Law Grants Workers Two Days Leave To Mourn Pets

As all you pet lovers out there will know, your beloved pet dog (and/or cat) is part of the family.

We call them ‘man’s best friend’ and ‘our fur babies’ for a reason, after all.

But animal lovers in Colombia have seen the love of their pets further enshrined in legal terms, after new laws were introduced in the South American country.

Unsplash)

The new legislation means workers in Colombia can receive two days paid leave if their pets die.

The new laws were introduced by politician Alejandro Carlos Chacon, who is a member of the Colombian Liberal Party.

According to Colombian news site El Tiempo, the politician explained: “Some people do not have children but they do have a much-loved pet with which they develop a deep brotherly bond.”

He added that being given two days paid leave should a beloved pet die would be beneficial in letting people “overcome their grief and pain of losing these beloved animals without being preoccupied with their jobs.”

Unsplash)

The bill is thought to be greatly helpful for many citizens in Colombia, with 60 per cent of all households thought to have at least one pet.

But there are some caveats in the law that are worth flagging.

For starters, a “pet” is defined by law as an animal in which the owner shares a ‘strong sentimental bond' with.

Death of “exotic” animals, such as tigers, are also not permitted in the new bill.

While there is concern of people taking advantage of the new legislation, the bill states that an employee will only be eligible for two days paid leave only if they told their boss about the pet before the death and have evidence.

Unsplash)

While we’re yet to have laws here in the UK to give us paid leave should a pet pass away, there has been new rules introduced here in Britain to give pet owners more rights.

Pet abduction will be made a criminal offence in England following a rise in dog thefts during the coronavirus lockdowns.

If a pet is stolen it is currently treated as loss of the owner’s property under the Theft Act 1968. Offences under this act carry a maximum term of seven years, however, ministers have said there is little evidence of the maximum sentence being used because the sentence is decided based on the monetary value of the stolen item.

The change in law was proposed after a report was submitted by the pet theft task force which was set up to find ways to tackle an increase in pet theft incidents during the three coronavirus lockdowns.

Topics: Animals, Dog

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley