Doggy business stinking up sidewalks is a very real problem in towns and cities around the world. Different attempts to clean up include raising fines, public leaflets or even a project in Buenos Aires to give green collars to the dogs whose owners scoop their poop.
So inevitably it would have to come to this: public toilets for dogs.
This pilot project is the masterpiece of El Vendrell, a city in the Catalonia region of Spain. The patented installation includes a location monitor, as well as a water trough. All the elements are connected to the sewers which means unlike other “dog facilities,” this one does not require constant maintenance, said the council in a statement.
Enric Girona, the engineer behind the project, explained that the system was designed based on a behavioral study of dogs that was started in 2005. His company, EG Estudis i Projectes, which has patented its design, presented the concept to the council free of charge, and will offer it free to other municipalities as well. “If this test works, we will put it in other parts of town,” said the Councilor in charge of the Environment and Sustainability.
El Vendrell, a town of 36,000, takes proper pooch behavior very seriously, with fines of up to 750 euros for owners who don’t clean up after their dogs. Now, the dogs can practically take care of themselves.
Photo: El Vendrell City Council
