Despite the fact that the topic of animal protection is increasingly present in the research of scientists in the field of legal sciences and criminology, no research has been conducted in Croatia on the attitudes of the general population on animal protection. Aim: To gain insight into the attitudes of the general population on the topic of animal protection. Attitudes of the general population about animal protection, punishment of animal abuse and cruelty to animals, and attitudes about animal cruelty as a crime and a social problem were examined. Methods: An online questionnaire was conducted on 636 adult citizens Results: The obtained data indicate that the public considers violence against animals to be an important social problem. Statistically significant differences were observed between respondents with regard to gender, pet owner status, and volunteer status in animal associations. Conclusions: The results confirmed the hypotheses and it was shown that women are on average more concerned about the topic of animal protection. People who have pets have been shown to be more concerned about the topic of animal welfare on average, as are people who volunteer at animal welfare associations. It can be concluded that there is a positive attitude of the general population related to the topic of animal protection in the Republic of Croatia, however, there is still much room for improvement.