BARCELONA – The municipality of Barcelona will monitor dogs more strictly. To give four-legged friends space, the municipality is opening 109 ‘shared use zones’. Dogs are allowed to run free in these places at certain hours. However, in other places, you could receive a fine if your dog is off the lead
From Monday, December 18, the municipality of Barcelona can impose fines on people who let their dogs outside off the lead. Under the new regulations now in force, dogs are only allowed to run free in the 225 designated zones or during permitted hours.
Fines from 100 to 600 euros
The fines are set out in the Ordinance for the Protection, Possession, and Sale of Animals. For a dog that runs loose outside the designated areas, but does not pose a danger to the environment, the fine is €100. On the other hand, the fine increases to €300 for dogs that pose a danger to other people or the environment. Furthermore, if a dog is off the lead in a playground, the owner can expect a fine of €600.
Shared use areas
To make the new policy successful, the city council has been working for several weeks to organise 109 zones for ‘shared use’. Dogs are allowed to run free in these places at certain times of the day. These places are not exclusively intended for dogs. They have to share the place with other users. That is why a sign will indicate at what times the animals are allowed to walk without a lead.
New information boards
Since June, information teams have been publicising the new rules in the relevant districts. The municipality expects that all 109 zones in 73 neighbourhoods will be equipped with clear information signs between December and January. With the 109 new places, Barcelona will soon have 225 dog areas. This makes an area of 900,000 m2 available for dogs off the lead.
With this initiative, Barcelona wants to provide open spaces so that dogs can “have fun, socialize and exercise. This is necessary for their health,” according to municipal sources quoted in La Vanguardia.
Also read: Woman walks man on a leash in Valencia
