Axarquía village cracks down on dog mess problem with confidential hotline

Benamargosa town hall in the Axarquía, on the eastern side of Malaga province, has announced that it is getting tough on pet owners who fail to pick up their dog’s mess. It has published a notice, signed by the mayor, Salvador Arcas, saying that the council will impose a fine of up to 500 euros on owners who don’t comply.

The town hall has also set up two phone numbers for residents to put in "anonymous complaints" via WhatsApp to “send us photos or videos showing these dogs or their owners so we can begin the process of fining them" the notice reads.

A message on the town hall’s social media account reads, "We receive daily complaints from local residents who have to live with this mess, which in addition to being aesthetically horrendous, is unhealthy", giving as an example the "flea infestations" that dog waste can cause, among other issues.

The town hall has also launched a public awareness campaign with the message 'You forgot something', reminding residents that "it is mandatory to pick up your dog's mess and pour water with vinegar or a similar product where your animal urinates". The town hall is giving away dog poo bags in a plastic dog bone shaped holder and reminds residents that they must walk their pets “in a civilised way”.

The town hall has appealed for residents’ “collaboration” to ”make the problem visible” and “understand the need to tackle it by reducing the amount of dog mess to improve the image of our village”.

The message goes on to say, “The failure to immediately collect excrement on public roads will be subject to a fine of up to 500 euros", as stated in the new Animal Welfare Act (LBA), which regulates the protection of the rights and welfare of animals.

The numbers that Benamargosa town hall has set up for confidential complaints via WhatsApp are: 689 571 752 and 681 208 026.