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| Dogs banned from Italian trains to fight fleas |
| 2008-09-24 |
| It is rumored that Italian trains have gone to the dawgs. Passengers on the country's extensive railway network have complained of arriving at their destination itching and scratching and plagued with insect bites. Blaming the bug problem on pets, Trenitalia has announced that from October 1, passengers will no longer be able to travel with large or medium-sized dogs – defined as weighing six kilograms or more. Wonder if the authorities have looked into illegal immigrants as a possible source. Small dogs, as well as cats, rabbits and all other domestic animals, will have to travel in portable cages. Thank Gawd fish are still exempt. Fish will be exempt from the new regime, the train company pointed out, as will guide dogs for the blind. Pet owners caught in breach of the law will be fined 100 euros (£80)– the amount it costs to clean and disinfect a carriage. The crackdown is based on a similar effort in Spain. "Spain is similar to Italy in many respects, starting with the climate", said Trenitalia chief executive Vincenzo Soprano. But the initiative has outraged animal welfare groups, consumer organisations and many of Italy's seven million dog owners. Of course you know, this means war. "This hygiene mania is ridiculous. What next? Will guards be checking that people's nails and ears are clean?" MP Carla Rocchi, head of an animal protection association, told the newspaper Corriere della Serra. That's a good idea, Guglielmo! Write that down and send out a memo to all station managers! "Trenitalia can't hope to eliminate ticks. If the cleaning services were decent, the problem wouldn't even arise." The ADUC consumers' association agreed. |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |
| #5 I didn't know the rule had been modified, lotp. I'm awfully glad -- it caused real hardship. We had two cats which moved with us to Germany, but we couldn't have (then) taken them to Britain -- they were not accustomed to kennels, and would not have survived. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-09-24 23:22 |
| #4 tw, the British quarantine was intended to keep rabies off the island. It's been modified since, in part because construction of the Chunnel connected Britain to the continent. Dogs now travel to compete at Crufts and other major dog shows in the UK without having to quarantine at all, providing various vet tests etc. are submitted and a rather expensive set of transport standards are met. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-09-24 17:11 |
| #3 so will there now a rash of dog deaths due to tying the leashes to the handrails and forgetting to retrieve them before the train sets off? and why do the faggy little foo-foo dogs get special treatment? the should be banned just on general principles, they aren't real dogs, just self-propelled Scooby Snacks for Rotweillers..... |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-09-24 15:16 |
| #2 "Will guards be checking that people's nails and ears are clean?" My Mom would have. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2008-09-24 14:20 |
| #1 They could go for the British answer: 6 months in quarantine before the animal can be released into the general population. There are a number of interesting diseases historically carried by fleas. Perhaps rather than nails and ears, every flea bag and its owner should have to wait at the station until the results of the blood culture come back. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-09-24 13:29 |