Dog owners should think twice before they take their pet to swim as they risk being slapped with a fine of up to €4,500 should their four-legged friend be caught in a swimmers’ zone.

Although rules barring dogs from swimmers’ zones came into force in 2009, enforcement was stepped up in the past days as bathers who usually take their furry friends to the beach with them reported being stopped by beach supervisors and told to keep their pets from using the area within the ropes delineating swimmer zones.

The Health Ministry said this was meant to keep in check the possibility of spreading diseases.

The same law also stipulates that domestic pets are not to be taken on sandy beaches at any time. Rocky beaches are not out of bounds but the owners must ensure their pets are not a nuisance to other bathers and should clean any fouling.

Fines stipulated for breaking the law range from a minimum of €232 and a maximum of €4,658 for a first offence. For a second offence, the maximum rises to €11,600.

On top of that, new by-laws proposed by the Sliema local council last week further restrict the places where dogs can take a dip to relieve themselves from the summer heat. Under the by-laws, dogs will be completely prohibited from swimming in the natural pools that grace Sliema’s rocky beaches. Public gardens are also out of bounds and, if taken to the beach or the promenade, they must be kept on a leash at all times.

The measures were agreed on unanimously by the local council last week and are open for public consultation for three weeks. They will come into force when the minister for local councils vets the final law proposed by the Sliema local council.