Dangerous dogs

Recently a dog registration scheme has been introduced on the Costa del Sol that requires all dogs to be microchipped, and some breeds should be registered with the authorities. These tend to be the larger breeds and your Spanish vet can advise you whether your family pet falls into the ‘dangerous’ category. I have to say that some of the breeds which are on the ‘dangerous’ list would not be my idea of a dangerous dog but that is the law.

Among the commonly recognised ‘dangerous’ breeds (including crosses) are Pit Bull and all Bull breeds, Rottweilers, Akitas, German Shepherds, but even Labradors in theory could be included! The law is based on size and weight – all dogs over 20 kilos. Even if your dog does not officially belong to one of these breeds but it has a history of biting someone in the past it could be classified as dangerous. Dogs falling into this category should be microchipped, registered with the local town hall and should have a certificate from the police (the Guardia Civil). They should be muzzled in public areas and always kept on a very short lead. The fences around your property should also by law be two metres high if you own a ‘dangerous’ dog.

The law also states that a resident of Spain who owns one of these dangerous dogs may have to undergo psychological tests. You may even be asked to demonstrate that you can control your dog. Do check out this new law with your vet who should be able to advise you and help you complete any forms.

In practice on the Costa del Sol this law, which was only introduced in 2000, is not yet strictly enforced in every municipality on the Costa del Sol – but it does exist. You also need to realise that any damage to property or people caused by unsupervised dogs will be your responsibility under the law therefore you should take out insurance to cover any third-party claims.

Other restrictions

Legally, dogs are also prohibited from many beaches and some urbanizations do not allow the owners of property to keep pets. We have heard conflicting information on this potential rule – note that it is a rule of the urbanization and not the law of Spain – and if challenged the dog owner might actually win the right to keep their animal but when you first arrive in a new country you do not really want to get involved in this type of problem so check first and you may avoid a lot of heartache.