ROME — Every dog has its day, and this could be it for every mistreated kitty, pup and parrot in Rome.
Animal monitors are on the prowl, working hard to get officials to apply strict new guidelines that, if enforced, could be the toast of the animal kingdom.
A city ordinance that went into effect late in November gives dogs the right to daily walks and protects stray cats. It slaps fines on Romans who leave their pets in a vehicle in the hot months between April and October or confine their fish to the classic, round bowls instead of a good-sized aquarium.
Breaking the new rules can mean fines of up to $600. More serious offenses, such as using animals to beg, can lead to the pet's being confiscated.
"Many beggars always have puppies. They buy them on the illegal market for a few euros (dollars)," said Francesca Cantalini, a monitor for Rome's animal rights office. "The puppies are often sedated, so that they don't move around, and when they grow up who knows what happens to them."
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She spoke while combing the streets around Rome's central train station for beggars using animals. She soon spotted a woman in a dark headscarf kneeling on the pavement, a white puppy in her lap attracting sympathy and shiny coins from passers-by.
Cantalini called police, trying to catch the attention of a passing patrol and pleading on her cell phone for half an hour. The police never showed up, and soon the beggar moved on, lifting the tiny mongrel from the pavement and taking it with her.
The case demonstrated a major shortfall in the new rules: Monitors need police intervention to hand out fines or confiscate animals, said Giampaolo Vassallo, Cantalini's teammate.
"The hardest part is getting the police involved — it can be very frustrating sometimes," he said after failing to rescue the puppy.
Ilaria Ferri, head of the Italian chapter of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said that as a result of this shortcoming, the city ordinance would amount to "good intentions that will stay on paper," just like Italy's many national laws on animal rights.
She pointed out that each year Italians abandon some 350,000 pets, mostly cats and dogs, despite a law that makes it a criminal offense.
Rome officials insist the new rules can be a useful tool to educate owners on how to respect animals.
"It's like an instructions booklet for all pet owners," said Roberta Pinto, director of the city's animal rights office.
"It sends the message that animals are living beings and have rights," she said. "Of course, it will take a lot of work to modify certain bad habits."
Pinto said her office is working to coordinate the monitors' efforts with municipal police and to train officers in the new rules.
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