Of Mice and Men, and of Things in the Legal Sense

This paper aims to describe one part of the issue - the fact that a living ani­mal is not a thing. Does that mean that one could not “own” an animal, or perhaps that an animal as a subject of rights? Will it be liable for damage it causes? The author believe that the provision specifically aims at pets and it is a pity that it is not explicitly men­tioned. The different attitude of legislator is also reflected in compensation for damage, which now involves a special material element of compensation for damage caused by and to an animal. These and other aspects are addressed in this paper.