Many people do not know about the existing laws on public safety protection from the aggression of the dogs, nor do they know what it means to take care of a dog (or other animal).
We have this belief that every animal has to be treated like a human (but always up to a certain point, as long as it suits us to treat it that way), few people take the effort to learn, to understand what is right and what is not it is.
Most people ignore the laws or, even knowing them, not put them into practice because: “so nobody does.”
Then we are all quick to judge when they happen of the tragedy.
The Order of 6 August 2013 (in Official Gazette no. 209 of 6 September 2013) (listed in the Annexes) Article 1 reads:
1. The owner of a dog is always responsible for the welfare, control and management of the animal and answers, both civil and criminal law, damage or injury to persons, animals or property caused by the animal itself.
2. Any person who, for any reason, you agree not to hold a dog of his properties he takes responsibility for the relevant period.
3. For the purposes of preventing damage or injury to persons, animals or property owner and the owner of a dog shall take the following measures:
a) Always use the leash to an extent not exceeding 1.50 meters during the animal’s run in urban areas and in places open to the public, subject to the areas identified by the common dog;
b) carry a muzzle, hard or soft, to be applied to the dog in case of risk to the safety of persons or animals or at the request of the competent authorities;
c) entrust the dog to people who can manage it properly;
d) to acquire information about a dog taking its physical and ethological characteristics as well as on the rules in force;
e) to ensure that the dog has a behavior appropriate to the specific requirements of coexistence with people and animals than the context in which he lives.
4. It is compulsory for anyone to lead the urban collect dog feces with them and have appropriate tools to collect them.
5. They set up training courses for dog owners, in accordance with the Ministerial Decree of 26 November 2009, issuance of a certificate of participation called license. The training courses are organized by the municipalities together with the veterinary services of the local health authorities, which may secure the cooperation of the following entities: professional associations of veterinarians, veterinary medical schools, veterinary associations and animal protection associations. The town, on the recommendation of the official veterinary service, identifies the scientist in charge of the training course among veterinary medical experts in animal behavior or trained by the National Reference Center for training in veterinary public health, established at the Institute of Experimental zooprofilattico Lombardia and Emilia Romagna.
6. The veterinarian freelance inform owners of dogs on the availability of training courses and, in the interest of public health, reports the local health authority veterinary services the presence, among his patients, dogs that require a behavioral assessment as challenging for the proper management for the purpose of public safety protection.
7. Following incidents of biting, aggression or based on other common risk criteria, on the advice of the veterinary services, decided, as part of their duty to public safety, such as dog owners have the ‘ obligation to carry out training courses. The costs for the training courses are borne by the owner of the dog.
This means that
- The law REQUIRES the use of LEADS no longer than 1.50 meters during the animal’s run in urban areas and in places open to the public “among which are to be considered such even the condominium common areas) and not extendable leashes of up to 300m! This type of leash puts at risk, as well as the safety of people, even of the same dogs that could squeeze into tight spots, cross the road while passing a car and much more.
- The muzzle is not compulsory to wear it to your dog, but you MUST have it with him, regardless of its type, the important thing is the right size for our Fido. The competent authorities may ask to wear it to the dog, which will have to hold it until we will remain the same but in the presence of authority, shall not multarci because the dog is not wearing it.
The laws are there, it’s up to us to respect them and the competent authorities make us adhere to the sound of sanctions.
GECOSEI of Giuseppina Napolitano
