Law List: Miss a Dog Walk in Italy? It Will Cost You

Law List: Miss a Dog Walk in Italy? It Will Cost You

For the city of Turin, Italy, pet fitness is no laughing matter. Actually, in Italy's fourth largest city, walking your dog isn't just a ritual, it's a legal obligation. In 2005, Turin passed a law that mandated dog owners walk their dogs not once, but three times a day. Fail to hit that quota and you'll face a fat 500 euro fine. That's right, a massive bill for not getting your furry friend out on a leash.

This unusually strict regulation is part of a nearly 20-page pet rulebook giving the city the strictest animal rules in the county, and perhaps in all of Europe. In addition to the dog-walking measure, pet owners cannot dye their pets' fur or dock dog tails, regulations meant to make it "illegal to turn one's dog into a ridiculous fluffy toy," according to local paper La Stampa.

Rome has a similar dog-walking penalty (also instated in 2005), but only requires one walk a day. In order to enforce the policy, police generally rely on tipsters, wary neighbors dedicated to making sure Mr. Snuggles gets his dog steps in—or else.

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