About the hotline

The hotline is based in Bratislava, but solves cases all over Slovakia thanks to a network of inspectors.

Inspectors are our volunteers who work in their spare time. In most cases, our inspector travels to the site of the reported abuse.

If the owner of the animal does not cooperate or the case cannot be resolved within the capabilities of the helpline, the chief inspector will file a complaint with the relevant regional office of the State Veterinary and Food Administration (Regionálny úrad veterinárnej a potravinovej správy). State veterinary inspectors continue to investigate the case with our (and your) help.

An individual can be fined from 0 to 1,000 euros; for repeated infringements, they can impose a breeding ban for a maximum of 2 years. A legal or natural person – entrepreneur can be fined 400 – 20 000 euros; In case of repeated infringement, a breeding ban for a maximum of 2 years can be issued.

Reporting a case

If you are reporting a case of abuse to Sloboda Zvierat Inspector or directly to the authorities:

1. Accurately describe the situation and the circumstances under which the animal abuse is occurring. If you have the opportunity (it is not necessary), document thoroughly its condition. This means photographing or taking a video of its injuries, visible neglect, the conditions in which it lives, general/detailed view, etc.

2. Provide the name and address of the perpetrator – either the owner of the animal or the person concerned

3. Specify exactly when and where the abuse occurred or is occurring

4. To the best of your ability, describe whether the animal shows signs of physical or mental abuse, e.g. injuries, signs of malnutrition, behavioural problems.

Attention! The act of promoting abuse, setting the animal against each other, abandoning the animal with the intention of getting rid of it, etc. are also considered animal abuse.

5. Provide your contact information – your personal information will be kept confidential upon request.

6. If you decide to take action yourself and contact the authorities directly, please send us a copy of your complaint to linkaprotikrutosti@gmail.com. For the benefit of animals, it is important for us to have an overview of the number and nature of the cases of abuse.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer animal rescuer yourself, please let us know. Email us at

 linkaprotikrutosti@gmail.com

Read before contacting us

Have you found a lost or abandoned animal?

Call your nearest shelter, municipal police or local authority. The municipality and police are required to arrange for the animal to be captured and quarantined/sheltered. If the Mayor, MP or Local Authority are unwilling to be of assistance or you are not satisfied with their handling, please contact us.

Have you found motherless kittens or an adult cat that is injured and needs your/our help?

We can take the cat in and provide veterinary treatment and care within the Bratislava – Polianky shelter (general contacts). Due to the limited capacity of our emergency vehicles, animals from other regions (except Bratislava) need to be brought to the shelter. Your/our help is also needed for abandoned/lost cats, these are exclusively domestic animals that are not adapted to outdoor life.

What do I need to know about street cats?

Please read carefully the following information on the issue of stray cats.

Are you disturbed by your neighbour’s dog?

If your neighbour’s dog is constantly barking in your house, it may not always be abused. The dog is usually not used to being alone at home and is sad. Ask your neighbour to have his dog trained, to try to get him used to being home alone. If the case cannot be resolved, complain to the local authority – they are competent to deal with disturbances.

If you suspect that a dog is living in unsuitable conditions, contact the authorities or the Anti-Cruelty Hotline.

Do not hesitate to call the police to the scene and demand that the case be documented (even when the animal was killed by police officers). This is because an animal can only be euthanised by a vet except for assault and endangerment of a human being.

Bring the body of the dead animal to the vet, who will give you a certificate stating the cause of death and the method of killing (a bullet can help to convict the perpetrator based on unmistakable marks – something like a fingerprint). As always, photo documentation is very useful. This procedure is also important when an animal is tortured to death.

Please report any such case to us at linkaprotikrutosti@gmail.com and we will try to advise you on how to deal with it and ensure action is taken against the perpetrator. If the offender is unknown, please make a criminal report against the unknown perpetrator.