Italian city orders dog owners to wash away urine or face €500 fine | Dogs

Dog owners in an Italian port city will be required to clean their pets’ urine from public spaces or face fines of up to 500 euros.

Luca Salvetti, mayor of Livorno on the Tuscan coast, introduced the measure after complaints from residents about the smell of dog urine, especially in parks and children’s playgrounds.

Dog owners will now need to carry water bottles and sprayers to clean sidewalks, benches and even the wheels of parked cars and scooters.

Pets are also prohibited from urinating near doors and windows, especially at store, office and home entrances.

“Public spaces are community property that must be protected to ensure etiquette, hygiene and urban livability,” Salvetti’s council said. he said in a statement outlines the measure.

The council said it was responding to “numerous reports from residents highlighting the distress caused by foul odors and the health and hygiene problems arising from the presence of liquid animal waste in areas intended for adults and children to socialise”. The council added that the measure was particularly necessary due to the huge increase in the number of pets, especially dogs.

The measure will apply to anyone walking a dog, whether the owner or someone caring for the animal, and will apply between May 20 and October 31, the most critical period due to warmer temperatures and less rainfall helping to clear pavements.

Those proven to have broken the rules face fines of between 25 and 500 euros (£21 and 425).

There are similar rules for dog waste in Livorno; Dog walkers are required to carry equipment to collect feces. Dog walkers may be subject to spot checks by public officials to ensure they are appropriately equipped for the task.

In September last year, leaders in Bolzano sparked controversy among animal rights groups by proposing a dog tax of €1.50 per night for dogs visiting the northern Italian province and €100 per dog per year for resident dog owners. The revenue from this tax would be used to rid the streets of dog poop.