Rover-tourism row: Italian province considers tax on visiting dogs

An Italian animal rights group has criticised plans in a northern province to charge a “tourist tax” for dogs as “pure madness”.

Authorities in Bolzano, in the mountainous Trentino-Alto Adige region, have proposed charging €1.50 a night for dogs visiting the province and €100 a year per dog for resident dog owners.

If the provincial council passes the measure, some of the proceeds will be used to rid the streets of dog poo. It follows a failed policy last year that required dogs to undergo DNA tests to identify mess culprits.

Luis Walcher, the councillor behind the measure, told Italian media that the planned tax was fair because it “exclusively concerns dog owners” and that otherwise the entire community would have to foot the bill for dog waste. He hopes that the measure, which would also fund new dog parks, will be enacted from next year.

But the proposal has not gone down well, especially in light of dog-friendly policies introduced in other parts of Italy. Rome’s Fiumicino airport opened a luxury hotel this week designed to provide dogs with a comfortable place to stay while their owners travel. ITA, Italy’s flagship airline, has introduced rules allowing large and medium-sized dogs to travel in the cabin.

The animal rights group Aidaa said: “This tax is pure madness and contrasts with what happens in the rest of Italy, where no taxes are paid on pet ownership.”

It urged Bolzano authorities to backtrack on the proposal. “If the law passes, we will plan civil disobedience actions to immediately boycott it,” it said.

Carla Rocchi, the president of Italy’s animal protection agency, Enpa, said the measure was an “own goal” that not only penalised families and tourists but also sent “a profoundly flawed message, turning animals into an ATM”.

Claudio Corrarati, the mayor of Bolzano, also criticised the proposal, saying it risked giving the impression that the province was “closed off”.

The DNA measure was equally controversial. Dog owners were required to submit their pets to a €65 swab test, the results of which were added to a database enabling police to trace and fine anyone who failed to clean up after their canines. Just a small number of owners complied.