Crossing borders without required documents can be considered a serious offence - for humans, at least. While humans can take care of themselves and not stray into unknown areas without knowledge, animals happen to be an exception to this. Would animals be punished too if they strayed beyond borders?

A pregnant cow called Penka has been awarded a death sentence for wandering and crossing over to the European border. Penka had walked away from the herd near the Bulgarian village of Kopilovtsi and crossed the border into Serbia, a non-EU country.

Penka is due to give birth in about three weeks. The bovine was returned to its owner, Ivan Haralampiev, in a perfectly healthy condition. However, the Bulgarian officers emphasised on the strict EU rules and said that Penka must be put down, a report by The Independent revealed. According to European Commission guidelines, cows must be presented at border checkpoints with documents verifying they are healthy.

The guidelines say, "The certification must accompany the animals en route to the EU and when they are presented for entry into the EU at an approved EU Border Inspection Post. However, considering Penka's case, an online petition was started demanding the European Parliament to make an exception.

"We believe that Penka's case reflects a lack of compassion on the part of EU officialdom for everyday people, such as Penka's owner, who is absolutely distraught," the petition said.

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