Something I have been tempted to write about for quite some time now is the, er, dog problem in Split. When I say “dog problem” I don’t mean the dogs themselves - the issue lies far more with the dog owners in Split and the lack of any of them picking up after their dogs.
Slobodna Dalmacija touched on this exact issue yesterday and I must say it ignited a spark in my mind in hopes that the more conversation and content we can harness around this issue, the higher probability we (Split residents) have of resolving it.
I’ll begin by touching a bit on what Slobodna Dalmacija writer Tanja Šimundić Bendić had to say about the issue.
For starters, the city stinks. There are plenty of streets throughout the city that are miserable to walk down due to the fear of either suffocating from the smell or accidentally stepping in feces in your sandals. Although I’m not sure what’s worse, it is for certain that the summer heat helps the smell in no way. It’s reasonable to think that you should look after your four legged friend as you would let’s say, your child, and do you really want to be breathing in that stench too? Dog owners, please advise.
Secondly, we say there are rules in place and fines in tact for anyone that is seen not picking up after their dog. According to the article, you are to be fined 500 kuna for not picking up after your pet. As much as that fine would scare most people, what wouldn’t is the fact that this is not enforced nearly anywhere in the city. How many times have you seen an officer or city official write up a ticket for catching someone in the act? I know I never have. Although there are bigger fish to fry in the city, maybe we can at least get the citizens more aware and encourage them to report these incidences next time they see them occur? It’s worth a shot and awareness is always a good place to start.
When it comes to finding solutions for this issue I always struggle with why nothing has yet to be done. An easy solution would be for Split to take after other cities throughout the world with proven "dog feces free" results. I hear that citizens of Madrid will now be charged a €1500 fine if they’re seen neglecting to pick up after their pet. From experience, what usually works best is accessibility and convenience - making the rules as easy for you to follow as possible typically ensures a good result.
Do we set up plastic dog bags at our bins so you can pull from them when your dog has to go? Well, I guess we’d need money and more trash bins in general to ensure this option would work - but this solution is definitely used in other major cities and has been proven successful.
Do we follow Zagreb’s lead and begin taking DNA samples of feces? Although yet to be tried, and perhaps a bit extreme, this could potentially work well.
Do we increase the fine and put more officials out on the streets to ensure we catch all that are breaking the law? Do we encourage one another as dog owners to do our jobs? Do we need to be taught how to pick up after our pets?
One thing I am certain of that we can all agree on: Split is a dog city. The citizens of Split love their dogs more than most things in life, and the citizens of Split love their city equally as much. I am sure we are all keen on keeping Split clean, smell free, and clear of feces-filled walking paths. If each of us does our part in picking up after our pet, I think we can all agree that Split would be a better (albeit cleaner) place.
