by Alessandra Ressa
Dogs rule Trieste. Literally. According to the most recent census, there are nearly 30,000 dogs in town. That is almost one dog for every seven people, or one dog every other family. These numbers surpass any other city in Italy, making Trieste the place with the highest number of dogs in proportion to residents. These numbers also risk turning the city center into a dog toilet en plein air.
Though lacking specific areas dedicated to dogs in the city center, Trieste is an ideal place for dogs and their owners, who enjoy long walks in the Carso woods. In the city center however, while some rejoice in the sincere company and unconditioned affection of their tail-wagging pets wherever they go (on the bus, at restaurants, in shops, in supermarkets, at the hairdresser, and even in church), others often have to put up with a far less enjoyable habit: dog excrement everywhere. Whether it’s along main pedestrian busy roads, side alleys, waterfront walks, public gardens, bike lanes and school entrances, the town seems to be more and more peppered with dog poo.
This uncivilized reminder of canine passage is often left to be washed away by rain or stepped upon by unaware passers-by, or, even worse, carefully collected in appropriate plastic bags for the sake of apparent decency, but then discarded in the street immediately afterwards when no-one’s looking, plastic and all. Some exasperated residents have put up signs on streetlamps and trees in areas that appear to be worst hit.
The problem has been discussed on social media in the past few months and several people have written to the municipality. Since last spring the impression is that some dog owners, taking advantage of lockdown, curfew, and fewer people in the streets, have become bolder. Just take a stroll along any residential street and see for yourself. The only areas spared from this practice seem to be Piazza Unità and the Rive, where apparently there are too many surveillance cameras.
Trieste’s Polizia locale do what they can against this bad habit. They admit that this practice is far from being properly contained due to the nature of the violation itself. Typically, the local police explained, dog owners who behave this way tend to do so really early in the morning or late at night, when very few people are around. To be able to fine them, police officers need to catch them literally in the act, as there is currently no way to prove ‘ownership’ to the foul smelling organic remains. Although some countries have developed a DNA bank of all registered dogs and can easily identify the four legged author of the poo and its owner, in Trieste we are far from using CSI techniques on dog poo.
A special team of five Polizia ambientale (environmental police) officers are given the task of investigating these cases in Trieste. To catch dog owners in the act they need to work undercover, late and early hours, and can often be spotted as they mandatorily operate in teams of two. They can check if dog owners are actually carrying the mandatory plastic bags or tools for cleaning.
However, people may carry plastic bags and simply not use them. Some dog owners are very careful when leaving their dogs’ faeces behind – Polizia locale added – they really make sure there’s no-one around. Just over 150 dog owners were fined (200 euros is the standard fine) in 2020 for street violations related to their pets. Apart from not cleaning after their dogs and not carrying plastic bags, some were fined for not keeping their dogs on a leash, a mandatory regional rule that many don’t follow.
The situation is considered to be bearable in winter, but can become a nightmare in summer, when it’s hot and it doesn’t rain for weeks. Then, the smell of poo and urine become unendurable. There are currently no laws in the municipality of Trieste that force dog owners to rinse urine.
When it comes to urine there appears to be no common sense either. Dogs are allowed to pee on bike wheels, cars, on steps to private homes and in front of commercial businesses. In Cavana, there are often yellow pools where the old stone pavement dents. Some dog owners even go as far as blaming those stinky yellow stains on drunks.
These uncivilized habits could turn into a health hazard, causing illnesses such as toxocariasis should the situation worsen. New regulations could be introduced, and fines implemented, but as so many dog lovers equal to so many voters, such a move might prove unpopular. For now the behavior of some dog owners is not only contributing to the gradual deterioration of this beautiful city, but unleashes feelings of resentment towards dogs, whose only fault is to have barbaric owners.
Barbaric owners, I agree with you. Environmental police officers should be more than five. They could be paid with the incoming of thousands of fines. Moreover, I think it’s a senseless and stupid thing to possess a big/medium size dog (or more than one) without having a house with private garden. What a life for those poor dogs.
i could not have said it better myself. first time we came to trieste was in the fall of 2019. we came back 2 years later last fall and found our home in the city. unfortunately i also found the city to be littered with so much more dog poop and garbage including masks all over the streets! i often say this to my husband “i do not remember trieste being so dirty and so third world country like! i wonder if we still would have wanted to own a home in a place where the locals are so uncivilized and apathetic if the city had been like this in 2019.” the poop and garbage situation has especially deteriorated in the neighborhood we wanted to live which is around teatro rossetti! we do not regret our decision. absolutely not. but we do tell people we know back in the US that they should not come to trieste if it is their first (or even thr 12th) time to visit italy! i have been coming to italy for 18 years! THIS is not italy! (and i thank god for that!) i do not have any ready solution. however, one simple thing city official can do is install garbage cans at each street corners – it would encourage and make it easy for people NOT throw garbage including bagged poop onto the street!