Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Guaineri: “A tool for a renewed culture of respect for animals in the city, the result of a shared and participatory path”

Milan, February 3 2020 – With 26 votes in favor and 7 against, the City Council approved the new Regulation for the welfare and protection of animals. The Administration thus equips itself with an updated, useful and dynamic tool capable of incorporating the growing sensitivity towards issues relating to the protection of animals, within the competences conferred by the legislation on the municipalities.

In fact, in the 14 years that have passed since the approval of the previous Regulation, there have been numerous changes to the law regarding animal protection, suffice it to mention Law 130 of 2008 which recognizes animals as "sentient beings" or Law 120 of 2010 which introduced the obligation to rescue animals that have been struck.

“The new Regulation – declares the councilor with responsibility for Policies for the protection and defense of animals Roberta Guaineri – aims to have an educational role, of training a renewed culture of respect for animals in the city. To this end, this document not only establishes binding rules but promotes general principles of good behavior towards animals and their management. The final text is the result of a long process shared and participated with veterinarians, associations and municipalities, up to the discussion in the Council, where many proposals presented by the councilors of all the groups were accepted by the Council".

The working method followed for the drafting of the new Regulation has first of all favored the technical-scientific competence of the Guarantors for the Protection of Animals of the Municipality of Milan, who for the drafting of the text involved bodies, associations and the academic world. In particular, the Veterinary Medicine Department of the University of Milan, the VESPA Department of the University of Milan, ATS Milan - Metropolitan City - Veterinary Department, the Order of Veterinary Doctors, ENPA Milan, WWF Lombardy, LIPU, the Progetto Natura Onlus, the Animal Protection Unit of the Local Police of Milan, the Civic Aquarium and freelancers.
Furthermore, although not expressly foreseen, all the city's municipalities were involved in the drafting of the new Regulation and the innovative amendment proposals consistent with the general approach of the document were largely implemented.

In compliance with current state and regional laws, the Regulation introduces some innovative elements. Between these:

• greater rigor in the detention and sale of some exotic animal species to protect the environment, because they are invasive species, and their well-being, because they require high professionalism for their correct management;
• management methods and greater protection of cat colonies;
• introduction and promotion of the "License" for owners of dogs belonging to a list of potentially dangerous breeds to educate citizens on a correct relationship between humans and other animals;
• protection of swifts' nests in the event of building interventions;
• rules for the management of live crustaceans intended for food to minimize their suffering, both in the conservation phase and in the preparation phase for consumption;
• alignment with the guidelines of the ministerial CITES Commission for circuses and traveling shows and ban on circus tents with accompanying specimens of primates, cetaceans, wolves, bears, pinnipeds, rhinoceroses, hippos, giraffes;
• changes in the methods of transfer and/or fostering of dogs and cats in the municipal kennel park in order to facilitate the management of the structure and encourage the adoption of animals;
• ban on the sale of pets in markets set up temporarily outdoors or indoors, in public or private places;
• limitation in the authorization of pyrotechnic activities taking into account the negative effects that firecrackers and fireworks can cause on domestic and wild animals;
• minimum requirements and management methods for aquariums, terrariums and aviaries;
• ban on begging by exhibiting animals, with the exception of dogs if it is ascertained that they are "life companions" of the beggars who keep them, who must in any case be guaranteed living conditions and protection compliant with the Regulation;
• methods of access to public places and places open to the public for dogs and other small pets.