Five more bays have been added to the list of those where bathers can take their dogs for a swim without the risk of being fined.
On August 10, Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Roderick Galdes said that Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq behind the Splash and Fun park, Marsaxlokk at Il-Magħluq, Sliema near the old Chalet, L-Aħrax near the camping site and Marsalforn near the Ta’ Xwejni area had been designated as dog-friendly beaches.
The five newly identified ones are: l-Imġiebaħ in Selmun, the upper part of the Mistra bay, Torri l-Abjad and the bays around the boathouses, Rinella in Kalkara and Żonqor Point in Marsascala.
A government spokesman said signs displaying pet-owners’ duties will be installed at each.
Dogs have to be kept on a leash when not in the water and owners must collect faeces in a bag and throw it away in special bins.
Asked about fines imposed for taking a dog to other areas and not the designated ones, the spokesman said there was a fine for first-time offenders which was not less than €232.94 and could go up to €4,658.75, with imprisonment if the case was considered severe.
For second time offenders the punishment ranges from €465.87 to €11,646 in a fine, and from two to four years’ imprisonment. These regulations came into force in 2008 under the Public Health Act Chapter 465, the spokesman added.
When it comes to fines for failing to keep a dog on a leash, the fine amounts to €11.65 under the Dogs Act chapter 312 (Police Laws).
However, if the owner is caught by the government department, the fine would not be less than €500 under the Animal Welfare Act Chapter 439 (for abandoning the animal), while for dirtying the street or rocks with faeces, the fine of €11.65 falls under Subsidiary Legislation 312.01 Control of Dogs.
In the meantime, the Animal Welfare Department was in contact with the Director of Health to find more dog-friendly beaches, so that people from different areas across the island could take their dogs to the nearest beach.
Non-bathing zones, which were usually marked with a sign, were also dog-friendly but this did not apply to horses or other animals, the spokesman said.