Can you really be fined if you don't carry a bottle with water and soap while walking your dog in Malaga?

The neighbouring Costa del Sol towns of Torremolinos and Benalmádena can also issue fines to pet owners who fail to pick up their pet's poop or carry a container of soapy liquid

Chus Heredia

Wednesday, 24 January 2024, 17:48

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The image of a person walking their dog with a poop bag in their hand to pick up their pet's excrement and a bottle with soap or bleach to wash away urine is something that's become commonplace among dog owners in Malaga.

Carrying plastic bags is mandatory, but many people still believe that the soapy liquid is more a good civic behaviour rather than it being compulsory. What do the by-laws say about this?

Well, both are compulsory. The issue became topical last week when the city hall sent a correction to the Official Gazette of the province to correct an error in its regulations in which so much focus was placed on issues such as stag and hen parties.

The error of omission refers to article 19.1, which has been in force since April 2020 and includes the obligation to "carry a container with soapy liquid or cleaner to pour over the urine that the animal may deposit on roads and public spaces in the city, avoiding foul odours".

Failure to comply with the obligations to collect faeces and wash away urine results in fines of up to 500 euros. In the first case, since 2017, there have been around 1,400 fines.

Fines for failure to pick up faeces can come from being caught red-handed or after subsequent DNA analysis. The genetic profiles of registered animals make it possible to know the origin of the excrement.

Malaga is not the first city to impose fines for not carrying a bottle of water with soap. Neighbouring Torremolinos and Benalmádena also incorporate in their regulatory frameworks penalties of up to 500 euros for failing to pick up faeces and 700 euros for not carrying a bottle of soapy liquid.

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