Italian province debates dog tax — and it's not going down well
A proposed tourist tax on dogs in northern Italy has met backlash. We think it's madness too — and hope Copenhagen never follows with such an idea.
In northern Italy, the province of Bolzano is toying with the idea of charging a nightly "tourist tax" for visiting dogs — €1.50 per stay, plus an annual €100 levy for local owners. The money, they say, would help keep streets clean and fund new dog parks.
Animal groups are calling it madness, and plenty of locals agree. Turning dogs into an ATM doesn't just miss the mark, it misses the point: dogs aren't the problem, careless humans are.
Here in Copenhagen, our pavements aren't perfect either — there's the occasional mess, the awkward shuffle past it, the reminder that someone forgot their bag. But a tax on tails? No thank you. We'd rather see better bins, clearer signage, and a little more everyday courtesy.
Copenhagen is, at its best, a city that welcomes dogs without fuss: hooks outside bakeries, bowls tucked under tables, pockets full of treats. Let's keep it that way. We hope Bolzano rethinks its plan — and that the idea never, ever catches on here.