Croatian authorities investigate mass dog abuse in Dvor municipality

Police in Croatia have opened an investigation into severe animal cruelty in the Dvor municipality, where dozens of dogs were abandoned, starved, and killed. A 46‑year‑old leader of a local animal‑protection group has been placed in investigative detention on suspicion of murdering roughly 50 dogs and neglecting her own child. Authorities say at least 15 dogs died and 35 were found in a malnourished state.

Animal‑rights activists, led by Luka Oman of Prijatelji životinja, say the incidents expose systemic failures in the national animal‑protection framework. Oman warned, “These horrors that the entire public witnessed should have been preventable… The institutions needed to act preventively.” The group has called for the creation of a dedicated Animal Protection Inspection and for stricter enforcement of existing animal‑welfare laws.

The case highlights ongoing challenges in Croatia’s municipal responsibility for stray and abandoned animals, including inadequate micro‑chip checks, insufficient shelter funding, and lax oversight of local animal‑care practices.