Girona City Council will enable open canine spaces where dogs can go off leash without fear of their owners being fined in each neighborhood of the city. These points will be added to the long-distance walking itineraries in which dogs can now run free, such as the one in Hortes de Santa Eugènia and in the four closed recreation areas that currently exist in the city.
The City Council is studying possible locations where dogs can be left unleashed. The city councilor who cares, who among other things is responsible for animal welfare, Gemma Martínez, indicates that they will be areas that are not traveled by pedestrians and that dog owners already usually use them to walk with their pets.
The councilor explained the need to reinforce these canine spaces in the city and assured that where there are more areas of this type “excrement and urine come down” from public roads.
On the other hand, the City Council will freeze the rate for dogs, which is around 35 euros, will implement a new rate of 10 euros for cats and will create a new municipal ordinance for the protection, control and possession of pets (the current one dates from 2009). which will include the regulations and sanctions of the state Animal Welfare Law, which has just come into force.
To make it known, it will promote an information campaign about the latest developments in the rule and the sanctions that owners who violate the law may face. Among other things, cats must be sterilized, chipped and registered in the census. It is estimated that only 4% of the city’s cats are registered. Dogs and ferrets should also be chipped.
Failure to do so is a serious offense, punishable by a fine of 10,000 euros or more. Not reporting the loss of an animal, not going to pick it up at the animal center and damaging cat colonies are also considered serious misconduct.
On the other hand, the City Council also plans to improve the shelter service for pets. The new contract will soon be put out to tender with some new features. For example, it will be active 24 hours a day and not until 10 p.m. as is the case until now.
In addition, a new canine recovery and re-education service will be included for abandoned or abused dogs to treat their behavioral problems so they can be adopted more easily.
