South Tyrol introduces dog tax

Only tourists should pay it, but it's still a way to extort money under the guise of street cleaning.

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A new bill in South Tyrol could introduce a tax for dog owners. The proposal, presented by Luis Walcher, provincial councilor for Tourism, Agriculture, and Forestry, has sparked widespread debate. The measure requires tourists with dogs to pay a tax of €1,5 per day, while residents would be required to pay an annual fee of €100. The initiative's stated aim is to raise funds to create new dog parks and improve the cleanliness of public spaces, a problem linked to the lack of responsibility of some owners, who fail to pick up their pets' feces.

The bill, if approved, could come into force in 2026The province already has a system in place for registering animal DNA, designed to identify owners who fail to comply with the obligation to collect waste. However, the system's results have been deemed insufficient, so much so that Walcher has proposed replacing it with a tax that would be easier to administer.

The proposal has attracted numerous criticisms, especially from organizations and associations that deal with animal welfare. Carla Rocchi, national president of ENPA (National Animal Protection Agency), called the initiative an "own goal by the Province of Bolzano," stating that instead of focusing on civic education, targeted controls, and awareness-raising, they prefer "the easier route: taxing animals and their owners." Rocchi emphasized that this choice would penalize respectful families and tourists, turning dogs into "a tax ATM."

The proposal has also been criticized by several local politicians, including the mayor of Bolzano, Claudio Corrarati. According to the mayor, it would be more useful to invest in increased monitoring and civic education campaigns. Indeed, introducing such a measure risks failing to address the root of the problem, discouraging adoptions and encouraging abandonment, with inevitable repercussions on tourism. Ultimately, it seems more like a fundraising pretext, using street cleaning as a justification, than an effective solution to the problem of rude owners.

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