This thesis deals with the topic called „Animal Rights“. The main goal of the paper is to point out the concept and importance of animal rights, and to show what are the basic rights that should belong to animals as living and sentinet benings. Given that animals are often exposed to varivous cruel behaviours, the paper deals with cruel behaviours towards animals with special emphasis on the criminal offense of killing or torturing animals, and varivous forms of abuse of animals by humans and curely behaviours of children towards animals are stated and explained. Furthermore the legal regulation of animal protection in the Republic of Croatia is analyzed, and given the insufficienty of the protection of cretain categoris animals in the national legal systems, the conventions that are considered the most important acts in the filed of animal protection are cited. The final part of the work is dedicated to defining the duties of local and regional self government units towards abanodned and lost animals, as well as protection and conditions that must be met in different modes of transport in order for the animals to be safe and protected during transport.