Italy Passes Tough Animal Cruelty Laws

Italy doesn't play around with animal cruelty. The following laws and ordinances were recently passed:

• The city of Rome has banned goldfish bowls, which animal rights activists say are cruel, after reports that they can cause fish to go blind.
• The same new by-law prohibits fish or other animals from being given away as fairground prizes
• the city council has also made regular dog walks mandatory.
• a national law was passed to allow jail sentences for people who abandon cats or dogs.
• The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to fine pet owners up to €500 (£340) if they do not walk their dogs at least three times a day.
• The Rome by-law requires owners to regularly exercise their dogs and bans them from docking their pets' tails for aesthetic reasons.

Now, I hope that the laws requiring that dogs be walked three times a day do make an exception for people who have enclosed yards that their dogs can run around in. Otherwise, I think those are all great laws! Monica Cirinna, the council member behind the city of Rome's by-law, says "It's good to do whatever we can for our animals who in exchange for a little love fill our existence with their attention." I wish there were more lawmakers who felt the same way!