Fines await those who fail to pick up their animals' faeces, those who let their animals wander and/or breed without control or supervision, and those keep their dogs on chains or outdoors.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 27th of September, 2018, one Northern Adriatic town has ruled that dogs and cats are no longer allowed on children's and sports grounds, in the playgrounds of schools and kindergartens, in city parks or in flower gardens, nor are they allowed in any other public places where there could be a potential risk to the endangering of health and safety.
Pet owners in the area of Kastav will have to pay more attention to their pets in the future. Namely, Kastav in Rijeka's closer vicinity has voted through a decision on the conditions of keeping pets, and introduced rather hefty fines for those pet owners who get caught breaching the new laws by a communal officer, Novi list writes.
This new city decision derives from the new Animal Protection Act, and pet owners have to come to terms with the fact that fines ranging anywhere from 500 to even two thousand kuna might be coming their way should provisions be violated. For example, people who keep their dogs permanently chained or in the yard without allowing their free movement will be heavily sanctioned. These penalties will also apply to people whose pets are discovered by the communal staff walking around in public areas without human presence and supervision.
Fines will also be handed out to those who fail to pick up and properly dispose of their pets faeces in public areas, as this poses an obvious risk to health and safety.
Owners must take special care in the case their choice of dog breed falls into the controversial and naturally widely criticised ''dangerous breed'' category, and if this is the case then their dog should be muzzled at all times when in public areas.
This new law even brings in the important measure of spaying and neutering (permanently steralising) both dogs and cats found in public areas without the presence and the control of their owners. In addition, any breeding of domestic animals must be done in a controlled, safe manner, and in proper accordance with the laws and requirements.
