City officials in Bolzano are proposing a €1.50 per night tourist tax for dogs visiting the city, which is the capital of the South Tyrol region, high in the Dolomites.
Revenues from the new tax, which would be in addition to the per-night fee charged for humans, would be dedicated to cleaning up after dogs fouling the streets and to extra waste bins, creating new dog parks and maintaining green spaces. Residents will pay, too: A separate annual dog tax of €100 is included in the proposed law, which will be voted on soon.
The new law is a second attempt at getting ahead of dog waste and irresponsible owners. While owners are liable to fines of €200 to €600 for not cleaning up, it’s been a continuing problem and and a plan last year to use DNA from poop to track owners failed because only about 40% of the area’s dog owners registered their pets’ DNA despite a €1048 fine for non-compliance. Those who did register, though, will be rewarded—they will not have to pay the annual tax for two years.
