In March 2026, Italy formally recognized that caring for a seriously ill companion animal is sufficient grounds for paid leave, the first country in the world to do so. Employees can now claim up to three days of paid leave per year, provided the animal is microchipped and the employee supplies a digital veterinary certificate confirming the urgency of the care. The policy traces its origins to a 2017 ruling known as the Cucciola case, in which a librarian at Rome's La Sapien