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Spanish town hires pet detectives in latest battle against dog poo

In Spain’s latest battle in the war on dog poo, a town near Salamanca has hired private detectives to punish those who fail to clean up after their pets.

Spanish town hires pet detectives in latest battle against dog poo
Detectives have been hired to track down irresponsible dog owners. Photo: Alice Huseyinoglu

This week, Carbajose de la Sagrada, a municipality in Salamanca, has commissioned a special unit of private detectives to monitor dog poo in public spaces, with the hope of raising awareness about the responsibility that comes with owning a pet, and fining guilty dog-walkers.

After the evidence has been collected by these detectives, it will be up to the local police force to press charges and issue fines.

The new initiative has been introduced following a barrage of complaints from citizens about the ‘uncivil’ behaviour of some residents, as well as the failure of previous awareness campaigns to put an end to their repeated crimes.

The mayor of the municipality, Pedro Samuel Martín, met with pet owners a few weeks ago to discuss a solution to the ongoing dilemma. He said he hoped the new measures, following in the footsteps of towns such as Colmenar Viejo, would improve the state of public spaces, and lead to greater 'coexistence' in the town.

This is just the latest attempt by town councils to combat the issue of dog dirt. In 2013, a viral campaign in Brunete, a small town just outside Madrid, saw officials box up waste and mail it back guilty pet owners.

Photo: Depositphotos

The town of Colmenar Viejo, also near Madrid, hired incognito detectives in 2014 to film owners who left their dog's poo lying around, and in 2016, Maslata, near Valencia, ordered residents to register their dog’s DNA through mandatory blood samples, so the owners who failed to clean up after their dogs could be traced.

In a battle to clean up the captial, Madrid's mayor introduced a 2016 law, giving dog poo offenders the choice between a €750 fine or a weekend of cleaning duty.

By Alice Huseyinoglu

READ ALSO: Who stole this huge inflatable turd from a Spanish square?

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PETS

Spain’s new pet ID in 2022: What you need to know 

As of 2022, Spanish cats and dogs will likely need an official national ID - dubbed "el DNI Animal" - as part of a series of new pet laws aimed at bolstering animal rights in the country.

Although it is yet to be confirmed whether this document will contain a photo of the animal, it will include other details such as name, date of birth and ownership history. Photo: Jonathan Daniels/Unsplash
Although it is yet to be confirmed whether this document will contain a photo of the animal, it will include other details such as name, date of birth and ownership history. Photo: Jonathan Daniels/Unsplash

Why does Spain want to introduce a national pet ID?

Spain’s General Directorate of Animal Rights aims to build a national database of pets in Spain. 

According to Spain’s Minister of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 Ione Belarra, the identification of domestic animals will serve “to guarantee that we are on the right path and have a model where no animal is left to its own devices in Spain”.

The pet ID will contain basic information relating to the animal, such as its date of birth, the number of vaccines it has had or any mistreatment carried out by its owners.

Although not officially confirmed, the new ID document will likely include a photo of the pet. 

The pet ID will reportedly make it easier to locate the owner of the animal in cases of abandonment.

In addition, the document will be compatible with the microchip that cats and dogs must have implanted at the vet when pet owners buy or adopt them.

What other documents do pet owners already need to have in Spain?

In order to legally own a pet in Spain, you need to have a health booklet (cartilla sanitaria) which includes its medical and vaccination records which has to be issued by a chartered veterinarian. This document also contains information about the pet and its owner. 

The microchip implanted under animals’ skin is also compulsory for cats and dogs in Spain, and it is currently considered the main means of identification for pets in the country.

Proof that your animal has had the rabies vaccine is also essential.

For travel purposes, your pet will need to have a pet passport, compulsory for travel within the EU since 2015. 

Veterinarian clinics are responsible for ordering these documents which contain much the same information as the upcoming DNI Animal – name, species, gender, breed, date of birth, microchip number, health record – but pet passports are only a requirement if you’re going to travel with them.

How else is Spain trying to protect its pets?

The DNI Animal is part of the draft bill for the Protection and Rights of Animals that Pedro Sánchez’s administration presented on October 6th, which also includes other measures that bolster animal rights in Spain.

One would hope that when it comes to protecting the country’s animals, there would be no major differences of opinion between Spain’s political factions. 

The draft bill is set to be discussed by Spain’s Council of Ministers in November before being debated in the Spanish Parliament, so it could be that the introduction of this animal ID will be pushed back until late 2022. 

Other measures in the draft bill include the requirement for people to do a training course before being allowed to adopt a pet, which teaches budding pet owners how to handle and care for their furry ones. 

Only fish will be sold in pet stores if the new law passes, no more puppies and kittens in the window as this is deemed to incite “compulsive buying”. Instead, dogs and cats will have to be purchased from professional breeders or adopted at rescue shelters.

There will also be a limit of five pets per household, although this won’t be applied retroactively.

The Spanish government will also consider pets to be “living beings with feelings” and not objects in custody battles.

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