Walking The Dog: What The Law Says
Anyone who shares their life with a dog loves to take them everywhere. And if the dog can stay free, even better. The chance to see your pet having fun, running and smelling everything as it passes by is priceless. Walking your dog is healthy and fun.
Even for the dog, the walk will be a very pleasant experience, but it is possible that this situation may annoy or cause fear to some people. This is why the law requires dogs to be kept on a leash at all times.
But this is only one of the rules that the law contemplates when you want to walk the dog. There are many other rules that both owners and dog sitters must know and respect to avoid penalties.
In reality, each municipality has its own specific rules. Below we see the general elements to learn more about the law on walking with your dog.
The commitment to look after a dog
When a person buys or adopts a dog, they must be aware of the commitment they are making. From that moment on, he will not only take care of the animal’s care, but his behavior will be the full responsibility of the owner.
If for any reason we can no longer take care of our dog, we will have to look for someone who can take care of it. And if we don’t find anyone, it’s best to take him to an animal welfare agency or foundation that can look after him until he is adopted by another person. Under no circumstances can we abandon it, least of all in a public place.
There are rules that must be respected even when you want to walk the dog. Even if in Italy there are more and more pet-friendly places , it is good to know where we can take our pets and what special attention we must respect in public spaces.
Dogs in public transport
In most Italian cities you can travel with a dog quite easily. On buses, the rules are usually stricter. Generally, only small dogs are allowed and in the appropriate pet carrier.
As for the train, you can take a dog of any size on all national train categories. Small dogs (but also cats and other small pets) travel for free, as long as they are kept in the special carrier; large dogs, on the other hand, pay 50% of a Standard ticket, even if they travel in First or Business class.
On the Trenitalia Regional trains, on the other hand, a dog of any size, with muzzle and leash, can be transported on the platform or vestibule of the last carriage, with the sole exclusion of the timetable from 7 to 9 in the morning on weekdays from Monday on Fridays, always paying 50% of the basic second class fare.
Walk the dog on the street and in urban parks
On the street and in urban parks, city regulations apply. Some standards, however, are common to most locations.
In general, dogs can circulate on public roads as long as they are on a leash. This rule is due to the fact that, however affectionate and friendly a dog may be, it can have reactions that are difficult to predict.
In areas specially designated for dogs, however, they can go without a leash. However, when dealing with dogs that are considered dangerous, they must always be kept on a leash and have a muzzle.
In parks and public villas that do not have these specific recreational areas, it is possible to walk the dog without a leash at certain times. This applies with the exception of children’s areas and those where it is expressly forbidden to do so.
Walk the dog in public areas and collect excrement
During walks with our dogs, both in the areas where they must go on a leash and in those where they can move freely, we must always keep our animals under control. Who has a dog, in fact, must be able to control it at all times to avoid annoying or hurting other people, animals or goods.
This check also includes the removal of his droppings. When we go out to walk the dog, we must absolutely bring the hygienic bags with us to collect the animal’s feces. Otherwise, like unleashed dogs in areas where it is not allowed, the fines can be very steep.
