Rome bans goldfish bowls, considered cruel

The city of Rome has banned goldfish bowls, which animal rights activists say are cruel, and has made regular dog-walks mandatory in the Italian capital, the townีs council said last Tuesday.

The classic spherical fish bowls are banned under a new by-law, which also stops fish or other animals being given away as fairground prizes. It comes after a national law was passed to allow jail sentences for people who abandon cats or dogs.

าItีs good to do whatever we can for our animals, who in exchange for a little love fill our existence with their attention,ำ said Monica Cirinna, the councillor behind the by-law.

าThe civilisation of a city can also be measured by this,ำ she told Rome daily Il Messaggero.

The newspaper reported that round bowls caused fish to go blind. No one at the Rome council was available to confirm whether this was why they were banned.

Many fish experts say round bowls provide insufficient oxygen for fish.
In July 2004, parliament passed a law setting big fines and jail terms for people who abandon pets and, since then, local governments have added their own animal welfare rules, many of which will be difficult to police.

The northern city of Turin passed a law in April allowing for fines of as much as 500 euros (Bt24,000) if they do not walk their dogs at least three times a day.

The new Rome by-law requires owners to regularly exercise their dogs, and bans them from docking their petsี tails for aesthetic reasons.

It also provides legal recognition for cat lovers who provide food for the colonies of strays that live everywhere from the cityีs ancient Roman ruins, to modern office car parks.

Animal rights groups estimate that about 150,000 pet dogs and 200,000 cats are abandoned in Italy every year.