Dog tax slammed as ‘short-sighted and unfair’ as tourist hot spot aims for public-area cleanup
An Italian town is taking tourist taxes to the next level by looking closely at creatures with four legs — and not everyone’s happy about the move.
The Province of Bolzano is looking to implement a “fido” tax. Dogs visiting the area will be taxed about $2 (1.50 euros) per day while residents pay over $100 a year, The Independent and other outlets reported.
The tax would cover the costs of cleaning up dog poop and other related public-space maintenance.
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The initiative stems from a previous policy that implemented a mandatory DNA dog tracking system.
Residents who participated in the DNA policy will receive a two-year exemption from the new tax, according to Newsroom Italia.
The president of the International Animal Protection Organization Italy, Massimo Camparotto, said in a statement that the dog-tax decision is “disproportionate.”
“Urban decorum can and must be guaranteed through effective controls by the competent authorities and with the application of sanctions against those who do not respect the rules,” the statement said, “not with new taxes that end up penalizing and discriminating against responsible citizens and their animals.”
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Camparotto added, “Taxing dogs means treating them like a luxury good, rather than as actual family members.”
The draft still needs approval by the regional provincial council.
Other animal rights groups have also criticized the plan, with some calling it “pure madness,” as reported by Wanted in Milan.
The bill would pay for the creation of new dog parks and fund the cleaning of streets where dog owners fail to clean up after their pets, the same source reported.
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Some in the province have described the cleaning of pavements, parks and public spaces in the region as a “serious problem,” said the same source, and called the new tax a “fair” measure, as it would only “affect dog owners instead of charging the entire community.”
The proposed tax is just the latest move in some areas to curb an overflow of visitors and tourists.
Locals have installed their own turnstiles across the Dolomites region as influencers continue to flock to the mountain range in northeastern Italy.
Carlo Zanella, president of the Alto Adige Alpine Club, previously told Fox News Digital the turnstiles are “working.”
“The turnstiles were installed at the beginning of July by a farmer who owns the land where the path passes,” said Zenella.
Located in Val Gardena on the Seceda, the turnstiles charge visitors about $5 for access.
Zenella said it’s about visitors “who go to the meadows to pass or have a picnic and ruin the grass that the farmer has to cut to make hay.”
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He said he believes the best way to reduce the flow of tourists is to highlight that “there are other even more beautiful places to visit.”
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