The Council of Ministers has approved a draft law amending and supplementing the Penal Code, which increases penalties for animal cruelty and introduces new, more severely punishable forms of the crime—when the act is filmed with the intent to distribute or committed by two or more individuals. When the crime is committed for profit, as part of an organised criminal activity, or constitutes dangerous recidivism, the proposed punishment will be imprisonment for 3 to 10 years, along with a fine ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 BGN. In particularly severe cases, the sentence could be 3 to 12 years of imprisonment and a fine between 10,000 and 30,000 BGN. This represents a criminal justice response to "sadism as a business."
According to the law from 2011, animal cruelty is considered a crime when cruelty is inflicted on a vertebrate animal, causing it illegal death, serious or permanent injury (Article 3256 of the Penal Code). In 2023, the penalties for animal cruelty were increased, but it is clear that they have not had the necessary or sufficient deterrent effect. On the contrary, law enforcement practice shows that such acts are even escalating, and well-known cases of animal torture, accompanied by sadism, necessitate an immediate institutional response.
In addition to the new crime classifications, the approved draft law also proposes an increase in the maximum sentence for the basic form of the crime—raising it from four to five years of imprisonment. A sanction of "deprivation of the right to exercise a specific profession or activity" is also introduced if the perpetrators of the crime are veterinarians or other persons involved in the care and welfare of animals.
The proposed measures express a commitment to counteracting such actions, which scandalise society and reflect a consistent disregard for public order, as well as a sense of impunity and unjustified cruelty.
Additionally, to facilitate the detection and prosecution of such crimes, amendments are proposed to the Criminal Procedure Code and the Law on Special Surveillance Measures, allowing pre-trial authorities to use special surveillance techniques.
Since the criminal business involving animals could also benefit legal entities, committing a crime under Articles 325a and 3256 of the Penal Code will also serve as grounds for holding them financially liable in accordance with the Law on Administrative Violations and Penalties.
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