Water and vinegar in hand for walking the dog: "Just like with dog poop, some people don't clean it up."

BarcelonaNatali takes her dog for a walk every morning through the streets of Camp de l'Arpa in the Clot neighborhood of Barcelona. Among the items she carries for her morning stroll, it's customary to find her dog's leash and bags for picking up its waste, as well as a small bottle of water to clean up any urine on the street. She always keeps it in her pocket. She explains that it's a habit she adopted when she got her dog a year ago. "I already had friends who did it. And I'd heard complaints in the neighborhood about those who didn't," the resident admits.

Canteens, water bottles refilled at home or at the fountain, silicone bottles... What was previously optional becomes mandatory in Barcelona this Sunday, according to the new coexistence ordinance that comes into effect. Thus, people who don't dilute their dogs' urine with water—with the exception of guide dogs—face fines of up to 300 euros, as stipulated by the regulations, to reduce antisocial behavior and ensure better coexistence in public spaces.

On Còrsega Street, next to Passeig Sant Joan, Marta waits for her dog to finish urinating in a tree pit. "I don't know if you're supposed to put water on it if it pees on the tree, but I carry the bottle just in case," she admits, pressing the small blue container attached to the leash to spray a jet of water against the tree. She says she understands the measure because "it looks bad" on the streets, but she wonders if the fines will be enforced. "I imagine that if a police officer sees you walking away without cleaning the ground, they can fine you, but they're not everywhere. I hope more people do it now, but I'd like to see it happen!" she says before continuing her daily walk.

Water, soap or vinegar

Cleaning up after your pet will now be mandatory, but it's already an increasingly common practice among residents. Like Natali and Marta, Daniela carries a small bottle of disinfectant with her. She says she's been doing it for seven years. "I didn't know there would be fines from now on, but I was already doing it and I think it's perfectly normal, because otherwise the streets smell bad." Other residents like Oriol and Magalí echo this sentiment. "It's important for maintaining a harmonious environment, although, like with dog poop, there are always those who don't clean it up," he explains, while she points out the need to do it, especially to "keep the city clean and avoid the stench." In fact, the issue of bad smell is one of the most frequently cited problems by pet owners who already regularly clean up after their pets. Therefore, although many simply dilute the urine with water because it hasn't been specified whether disinfectants should be added, some mix in soap or other homemade products. "I usually add vinegar because it's a way to get rid of the bad smell it leaves," explains Daniela.

By incorporating this measure into the new regulations, the City Council is responding to one of the most prominent citizen demands during the participatory process to modify the coexistence ordinance: three of the ten most voted-for proposals referred to the need to clean up dog urine. And this is no coincidence: the increase in these pets in the Catalan capital is undeniable, to the point that there are more dogs registered in the census than children under 12 years old.