Residents rescue abused dog from Zagreb balcony; owner sacked by employer

Outraged neighbors in the Srednjaci neighborhood of Zagreb climbed onto a first‑floor balcony and rescued a dog that, they say, had been confined and mistreated for months. The animal was removed to safety while police investigate the case.

Social media posts and neighbor testimonies described the dog as being kept around the clock on a balcony and exposed to the elements — from −15 °C in winter to +40 °C in summer. Walks, residents said, lasted barely ten minutes a day, and both the apartment’s occupants, a father and his daughter, were accused of regularly physically abusing the animal.

The case drew the attention of the Croatian animal rights legal group Animalex, which alerted the police and relevant inspection bodies after earlier complaints did not prompt a fast institutional response.

Citizens acted when procedures lagged

Seeing official procedures moving slowly, a group of local residents decided to intervene. They climbed onto the balcony of the building’s first floor and brought the distressed dog down to a secure location where it could receive care.

The owner also faced an immediate consequence at work: the director of the private ambulance service that employed the man publicly condemned the conduct and said the employee will be dismissed. "We are waiting for him to return from the police and will immediately give him an extraordinary dismissal, at the cost of any consequences for the company. I want everyone to know that such horror will not be tolerated!" the employer said.

The dog is now in safe hands and receiving appropriate veterinary care, while criminal charges have been filed against the owners and the police continue their inquiry.

Photo: press material from the event