Man’s best friend is facing a tax in an Italian city, where authorities want to raise funds to pay for the extra clean-up and facilities required by four-legged visitors. Starting in 2026, Bolzano, a provincial capital and the largest city in South Tyrol, will impose a small nightly fee on tourists who arrive with dogs.
Costing €1.50 per animal per night, the charge is intended to cover the street cleaning necessitated by dog fouling, and other public services such as waste bin supply and the provision and maintenance of designated dog parks. What’s more, visitors are not the only ones who will be paying a price for their canine pets. Local residents who are dog owners will be taxed €100 per animal under the measure.
The controversial initiative is perhaps the culmination of a broader clash between officials and residents about how to manage the impact of pets on the Alpine scenery and townscape that are key parts of the city’s appeal as the gateway to the Dolomites. In 2024, Bolzano introduced a dog DNA registration scheme to enable it to track down locals who allowed their dogs to foul the streets without picking up after them. Fines for failing to register were set at over €1000, yet 60% of dog owners failed to comply.
Tassa per cani turisti e residenti a Bolzano. OIPA: «Assurdità che penalizza adozioni, turismo e registrazione in anagrafe» ➡https://t.co/S60jFgeMTV pic.twitter.com/5LUN8sFI9E
— OIPA Italia (@OIPAItalia) September 25, 2025
The latest move will work as an incentive to register with the DNA scheme, since dog owners who get their animal’s genetics on record will be exempt from paying the €100 yearly dog tax for two years.
Provincial councillor, Luis Walcher, has defended the visitor and resident dog tax, calling it “fair” to target dog owners since “the only filth in our city streets is dog waste.”
But others do not share his view and claim that dogs are an integral part of family life. Carla Rocchi of the national animal protection organisation, ENPA, described the idea as “an own goal”, saying: “It’s paradoxical that in an area that thrives on tourism and hospitality, we’re targeting precisely those who choose a respectful and inclusive vacation, bringing their four-legged companion along.” She also claimed the measure could risk inciting people to abandon their dogs when they go away on holiday.
In addition to the dog taxes for visitors and locals, Bolzano is set to continue fining those who allow their pets to foul the streets. Failing to pick up one’s dog mess currently attracts a penalty of between €200 and €600 in the city.
