New Law in Italy

[chrissycat21]

A Law Dogs Would Write, if They Were Lawyers...

Fri Apr 22,12:24 PM ET

Add to My Yahoo! Oddly Enough - Reuters

ROME (Reuters) - Dog owners in Turin will be fined up to 500 euros ($650) if they don't walk their pets at least three times a day, under a new law from the city's council.

Photo
Reuters Photo



People will also be banned from dyeing their pets' fur or "any form of animal mutilation" for merely aesthetic motives such as docking dogs' tails, under the law about to be passed in the northern Italian city.

"In Turin it will be illegal to turn one's dog into a ridiculous fluffy toy," the city's La Stampa daily reported.

Italians can already be fined up to 10,000 euros and spend a year in prison if found guilty of torturing or abandoning their pets, but Turin's new rules go into much greater detail.

Dogs may be led for walks by people on bicycles, the rules say, "but not in a way that would tire the animal too much."

Italy considers itself an animal-loving nation and in many cities stray cats are protected by law. Still some 150,000 pet dogs and 200,000 cats are abandoned in Italy every year, according to animal rights groups.

To enforce the law, Turin police would rely largely on the help of tipsters spotting cruel treatment by their neighbors, La Stampa reported.

It said the 20-page rulebook gives Turin the most stringent animal protection rules in the country. It even bans fairgrounds from giving away goldfish in plastic bags.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...c&sid=84439559

[dukedogsmom]

Good for them. Except, I would even have trouble doing the walking part 3 times a day with work and all. Makes me want to move to Italy where they really love the animals. Much more civilized than over here in the U.S.

[chrissycat21]

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
Good for them. Except, I would even have trouble doing the walking part 3 times a day with work and all. Makes me want to move to Italy where they really love the animals. Much more civilized than over here in the U.S.

My mom read it before me and said they she'll start fining me if Snowy doesn't get her three walks a day.

[IRescue452]

Autumn gets a large walk in the evening (up to 15 miles in the summer) and just play time in our large yard (and occasionally the park) during the day. I think making it a law that they must be walked three times a day is rediculous. Who's going to enforce that anyway, and what counts as a walk, around the block or a mile? Also, during the humane society's charity event me and Autumn both use matching colored hair spray to dress up, would that be illegal? Some countries just go too far. Why don't they just enforce laws that prevent actually cruelty? I think Autumn would run away from home if I tried to walk her three times every day, especially when its cold or rainy. As for the dyed dog in the photo, it looks like the guy takes good care of that dog. Pepper doesn't get walked at all, only some free time in the yard, she's old and arthritic (sp?). She doesn't suffer from not being dragged around the block an a leash three times a day.

[gini]

I think this is an excellent law. The reason behind all of the walking is that many of the homes in Turin are very close together and have no yard to speak of. So there isn't much room for the dogs to get exercise.

I think it is a great idea for the dogs - and also for the humans.
Just think how they will all get to know each other as they walk their dogs...........and the dogs will love it.

[jackie]

I think it is a great idea for the dogs - and also for the humans.

I agree!