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Piacenza pet owners face fines over dog pee

The Local Italy
The Local Italy - [email protected]
Piacenza pet owners face fines over dog pee
Man's best friend, ready to pee. Photo: Clara S.

Next time you walk your dog in Piacenza, don't forget to take a bottle of water with you, as you'll be fined up to €500 for not cleaning up after your pet urinates.

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The measure, signed by mayor Paolo Dosi on Monday, now makes it illegal for dog owners not to immediately wash away their pets' urine from the squares, roads and pavements of the northern Italian city, Il Piacenza reported.

Not only this, but impolite dog owners can no longer let the dogs relieve themselves on doorsteps, near street level cellar windows or on parked cars. Those caught will face fines of up to €500.

But there are some exceptions to the new rule. Guide dogs and on-duty police dogs will not need to have their urine rinsed, while dog owners will be exempt from doing so during periods of icy weather, as it runs the risk of covering pavements with a lethal glaze of urine and water, the newspaper said.

“It's a measure that's been needed for a long time and one that protects the decorum and hygiene of our public spaces,” Dosi told Il Piacenza.

The move may be a pain for dog-owners, who now have to bring a bottle of water with them whenever they walk the dog, but it will be welcome among some citizens.

Residual dog urine can cause a nasty smell in areas where it accumulates, especially during the hot and dry summer months.

More than just a bad smell, excessive dog wee provides an excellent food source for bacteria and microcosm growth increasing the transmission of diseases and infections. 

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