Italy has further cemented its reputation as a pet-loving country after a woman was given paid sick leave to look after her unwell dog. The woman, a Rome academic, won her case after being supported by a large animal rights organisation, the Italian Anti-Vivisection League (LAV). The LAV is one of the biggest animal rights charities in Europe. A judge accepted the lawyers’ case that her university should count her two days off under an allowance for absences related to “serio