An Italian mayor's plan to keep streets clean for pedestrians and shopkeepers has drawn fire from dog-owners who accuse him of trying to make it impossible to walk their dogs.
The mayor of Savona, a coastal town of 60,000 people and 6,000 dogs, west of Genoa, got a local law passed that says that local streets and arcades are "not to be used for the physiological needs of dogs," subject to fines of €50 to €500. The mayor said the fines would go to local kennels and dog parks.
Shopkeepers in the central area of the city apparently made the original request, and its effect is limited to that area, although the mayor said it might be extended.
It made a splash in national newspapers, since it appeared to ban dogs from doing their business altogether, and many described it as a ban on dogs. The brouhaha is continuing, even after the mayor clarified that dogs can still go, but owners must clean up and carry away. An animal rights demonstration was scheduled to take place yesterday.
Piazza del Santuario di Savona (Photo: Antonello Piccone/Wikimedia)
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