Macedonia is finally getting a new law on the protection of animals. And unlike the previous ones, this one actually carries penalties that are not merely symbolic. From 400 euros for improper care or walking of a dog, up to 5,000 euros for torture, cruelty or killing of animals. On top of that - a lifetime ban on keeping a pet for people who abandon their animals. This is the strictest piece of regulation in Macedonia on this question to date.

The parliamentary proposal covers several levels. First - owners must guarantee basic standards of care: food, water, veterinary attention, space. Inadequate walking - when a dog without a leash attacks, or when you don't pick up the mess - is fined at 400 euros. Second - physical abuse, leaving the animal in a dumpster, or killing - these draw the heavier penalties.

The lifetime ban is the novelty. Until now, if someone shoves a cat into a bag, they pay a small fine and tomorrow they can pick up a new dog. With the new law - no. They go into a national register, and pets are off-limits to them. This is what other countries have had for a long time - here it arrives 15 years late.

Still, the question is enforcement. Macedonia is a country in which the laws on parking, on wages, on pollution - exist on paper but nobody respects them. Will this law be respected? Will the police have the capacity to react to dog-fighters and dog-abusers? Will there be inspectors? Without that, 5,000 euros is just a number on paper, nothing more.

For the Balkan context, it is worth recalling - Skopje has had a problem with stray dogs for a long time. They were not all killed. Many of them are abandoned pets. This law, if it is enforced, finally treats that as a legal problem and not just „a general situation". But whether it will be enforced - that is measured by the citizens, not by parliament.