Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Italian tourist town imposes a tax on visiting dogs
Bolzano is a city in the South Tyrol province of northern Italy. It’s set
in a valley amid hilly vineyards and a gateway to the Dolomites mountain range
in the Italian Alps. Bolzano is a popular tourist destination with forward
thinking, yet deeply rooted in ancient traditions. To keep the city nice and
clean, the city charges penalties of up to 600 euros to dog owners who fail to
pick up their pets’ droppings. In addition, starting next year, dog owners will
have to pay taxes: 1.50 euros daily for visitors and 100 euros per dog annually
for residents to offset the cost of street cleaning and fund new dog parks. The
city also requires the residents to have their dogs’ DNA registered so that
uncollected droppings can be traced. Penalty is one way to help keep the streets
poop-free. Civic education is another way to increase people's environmental
consciousness. For owners, pets are an integral part of their families, but for
residents and merchants on the street, they could be just a nuisance. Dogs can
hardly manage their poops.
Read the article and think about how to make dog owners responsible for
their dogs.
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