Barcelona honors dogs with a special beach

Dogs, just like us, usually enjoy a nice swim in the cool water on hot summer days. They suffer from the unbearable heat, so it’s a great advantage if they don’t have to wait for their family in the sand. The dog beach situation in Spain has been quite complicated for several decades, as dogs were banned to pad in the water until the last Sunday of September.

The local government of Barcelona is now making a huge change: they decided to create a beach especially for dogs. The area will cover 1.200 square meters. Incredible, isn’t it? According to the city’a mayor, it is essential for dog owners to have a chance to spend their freetime with their dogs and part of this is to be able to swim in the sea along with their pooches. The grand opening will be held on 5th June 2016. Lots of dogs are awaited for the special event.

Dog parks and recreation areas  with benches, chairs, fountains and dog waste bins will also be built near the beach. Dogs can run free in these no-leash areas and they can play with creative toys and exercise a little on the obstacles. All this provides a great opportunity for dogs and their families to have fun together in an active and enjoyable way. In order to keep these areas safe for all users, the contructors consult with vets in particular questions. The dogs’ „playgrounds” will vary in size, some of them measures up to 700 square meters.

Based on 2014 data, there are around 70.000 dogs living in Barcelona. The city is devoted to become a pet-friendly city: besides the above mentioned innovations they pay great attention to animal protection and rescue. No dog can be chained for more than 2 hours and it is forbidden to leave them home alone for more the 12 hours a day. Yearly animal health control is also included in the law.