In a special edition of AnimaList, we present an annual overview of our activities and achievements in 2025.

Major campaigns

Fight against fireworks

In 2025, we continued the fight against noisy fireworks and right at the beginning of the year launched a petition requesting urgent amendments to the Act on Explosive Substances and the Production and Trade of Weapons. In just a few days, more than 10,000 signatures were collected, and today that number is more than 41,000. We wrote to Prime Minister Plenković and requested urgent amendments to the Act, and we sent four letters (1, 2, 3, 4) to Minister Božinović, as well as concrete proposals. Public polls confirm that around 80 percent of citizens support a complete ban on fireworks. In addition to public support, President Milanović publicly supported a ban on noisy fireworks.
In the middle of the year, we reported that during 2024 the Ministry of the Interior granted permission for as many as 594 public fireworks displays and called on them to follow the example of the Netherlands, which abolished fireworks. We praised the Pula Film Festival for the decision to shape its celebration without fireworks. In October, we participated in the Round Table on the ban on noisy fireworks organized by the chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Marijana Petir.
At the beginning of December, we reminded the public of the petition and wrote about the overly lenient law that allows the use of noisy fireworks on days when nothing is being celebrated. We also made an emotional video of frightened dogs and wrote to grocery stores asking them not to sell any fireworks.

Against the destruction of Sisak-Moslavina County

We pointed out major non-transparency and unforeseeable consequences of a megalomaniac exploitation project in the area of Sisak-Moslavina County. It involves as many as 18 interconnected industrial megaprojects of two Ukrainian companies which, if realized, will destroy the entire Sisak-Moslavina County. The release of the environmental impact study of the planned poultry slaughtering and processing complex caused great justified attention from concerned citizens. Only one planned farm processes more than 15 million chickens per year, while the slaughtering complex processes 82,240,000 chickens, which is the equivalent of the entire population of Germany. Only one facility consumes four million liters of water per day, and in return it would release toxic gases and wastewater burdened with nitrogen, phosphorus, antibiotics, and bacteria into the environment. All of this would take place near protected areas and less than a kilometer from the first houses, kindergartens, schools, homes for the elderly, and healthcare institutions. We called for participation in the public consultation and ourselves left our comments. We also supported and personally attended the protest against the construction of the megalomaniac project in Sisak-Moslavina County organized by the civic initiatives Siščani ne žele biti Smetlišćani and Zaštitimo Sisak. We wrote to Members of Parliament, competent ministries, and all relevant bodies to speak up; however, we did not receive responses.

A story from the countryside

On December 30 at the Zagreb City Library, we held a presentation of the autobiographical picture book for youth and adults (12+) “A Story from the Countryside” by Luka Oman, the president of our association. “A Story from the Countryside” arose from the author’s need to return to experiences that marked him at that sensitive age. The village and tradition here are not an idealized framework of childhood and instead of nostalgia, the book offers a confrontation with the world of adults who accept what is not fair, but is accepted as “normal”.

Not all are pets

We launched the campaign “Not all are pets” to warn about the increasingly widespread problem of keeping wild and exotic animals in households and the necessity of introducing a Positive List – an official list of animal species that, according to experts, are safe to keep as pets. All animals that are not on the List would not be allowed to be kept, bred, or traded. As a strong visual start to the campaign, billboard posters were put up with a message that invites citizens to think about who belongs in an apartment and who belongs in the wild. We also wrote to the Minister of Agriculture and other competent bodies in order to draw attention to this problem.

Non-existent shelter in Split

At the beginning of last year, we reported that the accommodation for the dogs that in 2024 were seized from a Split psychiatrist who bred them for fights is still not registered and does not meet all conditions under the Ordinance. The City of Split sent a call to all registered shelters to take in the remaining 32 dogs out of the initial 67, after which only the Dubrovnik shelter responded, which has so far taken in the largest share of the dogs. In the middle of the year, the City stated that they plan to relocate the dogs to a new location, which they would arrange and register, but despite many years of countless conversations and proposals, the City of Split to this day does not have its own city shelter.

Responsible guardianship

Family to the seaside, dog to the street?!

We marked 23 years of the campaign “Family to the seaside, and dog to the street?!” and reminded that more than 10,000 dogs and cats each year remain without a home, and the summer months for many of them become a season of betrayal. We noted that animals are not left in the car during summer heat even for a short time because exposing them to direct sun can cause heatstroke and can even kill them. We made a similar appeal at the end of the year ahead of the holidays because every year we witness the same scenario: animals acquired during the holidays already within a few months become “surplus” when it turns out that care requires more time and patience than expected.

Adoption, neutering and microchipping

Last year as well, we appealed that animals should not be bought but adopted, and on the occasion of World Day for Abandoned Animals we listed 5 steps on how one can help abandoned animals. We supported the action “Adoption is cool” which reminded of the importance of neutering. On the occasion of World Spay Day for Dogs and Cats and the International Day of Neutering Free-roaming Cats, we appealed to local communities to secure funds in the 2026 budget for the implementation of legal and preventive measures such as neutering and microchip control. We reminded that dogs and cats are highly reproductive species whose number can increase tenfold in just a few years. On the occasion of the tragic death of a woman who was attacked by dogs, we called out local communities due to the non-implementation of microchip control of dogs by visiting all households, by which this tragedy could have been prevented.

Legislation

On the occasion of indictments being brought against suspects in the disgusting case of animal rape in Slavonia, we sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation and requested that sexual relations with animals be sanctioned as a separate criminal offense. We wrote to the Municipal Court in Slavonski Brod and requested the recusal of Judge Živić from the proceedings because we are appalled by his decision to exclude the public from the proceedings in order to protect the family life of the defendant.
That, unfortunately, was not the only case of animal rape last year, nor the only failure of the competent institutions. In the middle of the year, we expressed disbelief due to the proposal of the Municipal State Attorney’s Office that the animal rapist be given a suspended sentence despite the proven act committed. In August, we participated in the public consultation on amendments to the Criminal Code, published our proposals and called on everyone to participate.
We announced that the European Parliament voted for historic standards for the protection of pets and that as part of that Croatia will have to prescribe microchipping of cats, ban the breeding of unhealthy breeds and introduce a Positive List. The European Commission, however, betrayed animals because it omitted legislative proposals on animal welfare from the Work Programme for 2026.
Our other proposals concerned a ban on single-use wet wipes with plastic, calling for urgent amendments to the Ordinance on Dangerous Dogs and in relation to the Ordinance on house rules in residential buildings.

Veganism

Veganuary

In January we reminded about the Veganuary initiative and our Veg Challenge which is available to everyone free of charge at www.veganopolis.net. Veg Challenge ambassador Igor Barberić revealed recipes for delicious plant-based meals as part of the campaign. We reminded that animal farming provides only 18% of our calories, and occupies 83% of agricultural land, and that it is never too late for good decisions.

VeggieFair

For the first time ever, VegeFair lasted two days and made the whole Europe Square smell of fine plant-based food such as vegan cordon bleu and a tortilla with plant-based chicken. Visitors could, in addition to enjoying the food and cruelty-free cosmetics, learn more about veganism and sustainable lifestyles and receive free educational materials and cookbooks.

ZeGeVege festival

The 17th ZeGeVege festival was held from 5 to 7 September at Europe Square and attracted numerous passers-by with its rich educational programme as well as a diverse offer of plant-based meals, cosmetics that are not tested on animals, and ecological products. Through inspiring and informative conversations, topics of plant-based and cultivated meat were covered, and from the rich gastronomic offer particularly interesting were Turkish delicacies yufka, pide and lahmacun and delicatessen vegan cheeses made from fermented nuts.
The goal of the festival is to educate visitors about the importance of getting to know plant-based food, by which the lives of animals are saved, pollution of the planet is prevented, and health is encouraged. Slavonian and vegan Bernarda Bobovečki was the face of the ZeGeVege festival, and the campaign When you choose with your heart, you choose veganism was filmed at the Farmica sanctuary with rescued animals.

V-Label

We announced a new label C-Label that marks products such as cultivated meat. The certificate represents an important step toward sustainability and ensures that products meet high standards of quality and safety. We also launched a campaign for V-Label whose goal is to highlight the importance of clear and reliable labeling of products of plant origin, which are increasingly in demand among consumers, regardless of their diet.

Green Challenge and Xmas cooking workshop

At the end of the year, in cooperation with Lidl we launched the Green Challenge, and as part of the campaign an Xmas cooking workshop was also held.

Other vegan news

We wrote to Members of Parliament and the Ministry of Economy to stand up for abolishing VAT on fruit and vegetables. We believe that healthy plant-based food should be a basic right of all, not a privilege. In addition to being better for health, plant-based food contributes to biodiversity and saves countless animals from exploitation and a painful death.
For Easter we reminded about the suffering of chicks and other animals and recommended holiday meals without cruelty. We wrote about the dairy industry and recommended plant-based milks because behind a glass of cow’s milk there is a harsh truth that includes extreme cruelty to animals.
At the end of the year, we wrote about the absurd and harmful new attempt by the meat industry to lobby EU legislation with the goal of banning names such as sausages, pâtés and burgers for plant-based meat products. There is no public interest whatsoever that would justify this ban because research shows that 96% of consumers understand without difficulty what “vegan sausage” or “plant-based burger” means. Although under strong pressure from the public, the European Parliament did not manage to pass the ban, the battle is not over yet: the draft law will be considered again in the first half of 2026, but that gives more time to the justified campaign against the ban.

 

Marking important dates

We marked World Meatout Day (Meatout day) with a recipe for vegan mac’n’cheese in cooperation with Valentina Balgavi, a certified vegan nutritionist.
On 1 June, Croatia for the first time marked National Animal Rights Day (NARD). The event took place simultaneously in more than 160 cities around the world, this year also in Zagreb.
With an event at Europe Square we celebrated one hundred years of International Animal Protection Day, and on World Day for the Abolition of Speciesism we reminded about the necessity of abolishing the systematic discrimination of animals, which reduces them to lesser beings just because they belong to another species.
On the occasion of World Food Day we called for a sustainable way of eating, which we also emphasized for Earth Day, and on World Day for Laboratory Animals we drew attention to millions of animals that suffer due to unnecessary, extremely cruel and painful experiments.
We invited everyone to join the marking of World Vegan Day, and on that day vegan flags were flying at city locations in Zagreb and Samobor.
At the end of the year we traditionally marked International Animal Rights Day with a performance by which we wanted to emphasize that all beings deserve our empathy and that all lines that society draws are in fact arbitrary.

 

Reports to inspections and reactions to abuse

Against the suffering of horses

We sent competent institutions extensive legal and scientific argumentation by which we warned that štraparijade, so-called horse competitions in pulling heavy logs, are in direct contradiction with the Animal Protection Act. We reacted to the case of 5 Arabian horses that are confined in stalls at the Hippodrome for a year already and have not been taken out to a paddock, which has visibly endangered their health. We also sent two requests to the City of Zagreb for the protection of horses during the concert at the Hippodrome.

African swine fever

On the occasion of the spread of African swine fever, we called for ethical and sustainable solutions. We reacted to cases of mass killing of animals on farms across Croatia and we pointed out that breeding animals for food contributes to the spread of such diseases, and equally disastrous consequences for animals occur.

Other reports and reactions

At the beginning of last year, we wrote to the Minister of Agriculture about the problem of granting state agricultural subsidies to individuals who do not care for animals, but the animals are left to themselves and often die of prolonged starvation. We also referred to the case of denying water to domestic animals in the vicinity of Knin and filed a report.
We also filed a report to end the illegal sale of animals at the Trešnjevka market, whose victim is also the rooster Miljenko who was, fortunately, rescued and now enjoys life in a sanctuary.
Unlike him, the bull Miško and the bear near Senj were not so lucky. Miško was killed because institutions failed, and the bear was shot even though it could have been relocated to another location.
We wrote about the terrible condition of dogs in Roma settlements, reacted to the killing of pigeons in Vukovar and once again wrote about the problem of unregistered shelters and associations and emphasized that despite the inactivity of institutions, individuals must not illegally rescue animals.

Other areas of work

Ban on bottom trawling

On the occasion of World Day for Ending Fishing, we called for signing a petition to ban bottom trawling. We also called on everyone to watch the new film “Ocean” by naturalist Sir David Attenborough, which brought so far unseen scenes of bottom trawling and its devastating consequences on the sea and life in it. We left a comment in the public consultation on the Draft Ordinance on bottom trawl nets and called on citizens to do the same. In Rovinj, we installed educational boards as part of the campaign ‘Let’s respect our sea’.

Melanie Joy workshop

At the beginning of the year, we organized a full-day workshop led by award-winning writer and psychologist Melanie Joy. Participants were able to learn key principles and tools for developing effective communication and interpersonal skills and find out how to approach those with different or opposing opinions in a way that deepens understanding.

March for Animals

On 12 April 2025, we held the fifth March for Animals with the help of the association Pobjede. As part of the preparations for the March, we had a banner-making workshop and presented thirty demands related to animal protection, one of which is a prison sentence of five to 15 years for animal rape. We called on everyone not to turn a blind eye to the suffering of animals. After the March we had a rich music programme and vegan food.

Blic aktivnosti

• We wrote about the problem of (shipwreck) vessels used for transporting livestock, one of which is located in the Croatian port of Raša.
• Together with the Croatian Small Animal Veterinary Section, we continued advocating for a legal ban on breeding deformed animals and reminded the public how much this harms their health.
• We sent a letter of support to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition for the establishment of the Croatian ranger service.
• We organized the lecture “Modern horticulture and the protection of biodiversity in urban environments”, led by the well-known Gardener Kruno.
• Ahead of the local elections, we sent a letter to political parties and their candidates calling for concrete animal protection measures, with an emphasis on implementing the current Animal Protection Act, and advised citizens to vote for those who show genuine concern for animal protection.
• Together with the initiatives VEGAN THUGZ and WTF, we held a stand where we handed out delicious cakes and collected donations for the creation of a new veganism website.
• We reported on the new documentary about the vegan movement, “Food for Thought”, and are proud that it includes footage from our ZeGeVege Festival.
• We reported on another major victory for animals: Poland joined the countries that have banned breeding animals for fur.
• We asked all local self-government units (LSGUs) to publish on their official websites the Decision on the conditions and manner of keeping pets.
• We wrote about Bryan Adams’ arrival in Croatia and expressed admiration for his consistent dedication to veganism and advocacy for animal rights.
• We called for signing a petition to ban the extraction of blue blood from ancient crabs for testing and are pleased that Croatia ranked fifth worldwide by the number of collected signatures.
• We achieved new collaborations and partnerships with companies. New legal members became Bio Food d.o.o., Planetopija and Norsan Adriatik d.o.o.; the full list is available here.
• This year, we enabled 109 more affordable neutering procedures for citizens in more difficult financial situations.
• We held two meetings of the Animal Protection Network.

Animal Friends Croatia is a beneficiary of institutional support from the National Foundation for Civil Society Development for the stabilization and/or development of the association.

In accordance with the General Terms and Conditions applicable to contracts concluded under the public call for the financing of associations’ programmes and projects from the City of Zagreb’s budget for 2025, we note that the City of Zagreb co-financed the 17th ZeGeVege Festival of Sustainable Living in the amount of EUR 2,650.00 (in words: two thousand six hundred and fifty euros).
For the programme of discounted spay/neuter procedures, the City of Zagreb co-financed an amount of EUR 2,500.00.