Protected leave for sick pets is gaining traction

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 Sapienza University won paid leave to care for her ailing English setter. Her legal team successfully argued that under Italian law, leaving an animal to suffer is a crime — so staying home to care for them is a legal and moral obligation.  Animal protection organizations supported the ruling, arguing that no owner should be forced to choose between their career and the well-being of a suffering animal.  

Over the following years, the principle expanded through collective labor agreements before achieving formal national recognition this spring.

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New York City and State take notice

While no equivalent law exists anywhere in the United States, and there is no federal proposal on the horizon, New York City and New York State are both considering legislation that would break new ground domestically.

A bill introduced in the New York City Council would allow employees to take paid sick and safe leave for care of their pets. The bill, Int. 1089-2024, sponsored by city council member Shaun Abreu, would amend New York City's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act to allow employees to take leave to care for a pet that needs medical treatment or care.  The bill covers animals "kept primarily for companionship" — a scope that goes well beyond existing service-animal protections. 

The only U.S. precedent: A California service-dog carve-out

One jurisdiction, Emeryville, California, passed a law in 2015 allowing employees to use paid sick leave to care for guide dogs, signal dogs, or service dogs as defined under California law. It is a narrow provision covering only working animals, a far cry from the companion-animal coverage proposed in New York or enacted in Italy.

A growing number of companies have moved voluntarily, offering what HR professionals now call "pawternity" leave — time off to bond with a new pet, grieve the loss of one, or care for a sick animal. 

Washington State: No action yet, but the groundwork is there

Washington State has no pet sick leave legislation on the table, and no such bill has been introduced in the current legislative session. That said, Washington may be better positioned than most to move in that direction should the political will develop. Washington already has one of the country's most expansive paid leave frameworks. As of July 1, 2026, Senate Bill 5217 will significantly expand its Paid Family and Medical Leave program to include seven paid days of bereavement leave. A state already accustomed to broadening its definition of covered leave may find pet sick leave a smaller legislative leap than it would be elsewhere. 

For now, however, Italy stands alone. Whether New York City passes its bill, and whether the New York State proposal gains traction, will be closely watched by employment lawyers and HR professionals nationwide. Advocates hope Italy's framework — vet-verified, capped at three days, and grounded in existing animal welfare law — offers a replicable model for other jurisdictions ready to recognize what millions of pet owners already know: for many people, a sick animal is a family emergency.