Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere has instructed the Ministry of Justice to improve the liability framework in the field of animal welfare protection. The aim is to strengthen animal welfare and protect animals from cruel exploitation for profit.
On 26 January 2026, the Ministry received a letter from the Latvian Veterinary Association, which called for increased penalties for harm caused to animals and society through irresponsible breeding and trading of animals, as well as in other cases.
In cooperation with the responsible sectoral authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Justice will reassess the overall situation to ensure that administrative and criminal liability mechanisms cover, to the greatest possible extent, all cases in which human actions have negative consequences for animal welfare and life. This includes, for example, the illegal breeding and trade of dogs and cats, as well as other violations of animal transfer and ownership regulations.
Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere supports this initiative, emphasising: “Illegal breeding of cats and dogs for profit often takes place in absolutely unacceptable and cruel conditions, resulting in serious violations of animal welfare. This is violence against animals, which is unacceptable in our society and for which the law already provides for liability. At the same time, we see that the current regulatory framework does not achieve its intended purpose in practice. Therefore, we will review existing offences and penalty levels related to the illegal breeding and trade of dogs and cats, as well as other violations, to ensure that the liability framework is both effective and genuinely dissuasive. Animals in human lives are far more than property or a source of income – they are companions and family members, whose protection is a responsibility shared by the whole of society.”
Previously, amendments developed by the Ministry of Justice to the Criminal Law have already entered into force, providing for increased liability for cruel treatment of an animal or for animal torture resulting in the animal’s death.
The Criminal Law was also amended to remove additional penalties such as community service and fines for cruel treatment of an animal resulting in mutilation or for animal torture, replacing them with a penalty of imprisonment for up to five years, along with deprivation of the right to keep certain or all species of animals for up to five years.
In addition, the Criminal Law now provides for imprisonment for up to six years, together with deprivation of the right to keep certain or all species of animals for up to five years, for cruel treatment of an animal or animal torture committed in a public place or in the presence of a minor.
Under the leadership of the Minister of Justice, the Ministry of Justice is also currently working on other issues related to the protection of animal rights. The Ministry will submit proposals to the Saeima to strengthen the special legal status of animals in the Civil Law, in line with the approach taken in the civil law frameworks of several other European Union Member States. The proposals will clarify the legal consequences in various situations during an animal’s lifetime, such as in the event of the owner’s death or illness, or in divorce proceedings where the animal has been jointly acquired.