In many cities it is now possible to share a bar, a dressing room, a tourist attraction or a bath on the beach with animals
Fewer and fewer ‘No Dogs’ signs are seen. And in many places it is now possible to share a bar, a dressing room, a tourist attraction or a bath on the beach with animals. We travel through Spain looking for ‘dog-friendly’ spaces, friendly with our pets. But, what does a city have to offer to be considered as such? “The key is that they meet the needs of families with dogs. To do this, they must have large canine recreation areas, public collective transport that admits animals, as well as restaurants, bars and other establishments where we can enter quietly with them, ”says Pablo Muñoz Gabilondo, owner of Pipper, a Parson Russell Terrier with the one that has toured Spain to promote “the integration of educated pets” in transport, hospitality or tourist attractions.
Another indicator that we are in a ‘dog-friendly’ site, he says, is the number of accommodations that accept our four-legged companion. It is where more progress is being made in Spain: in almost all cities there is sufficient supply, including 31 of the 97 national inns that exist.
Many?
There are currently 9.3 million dogs in Spain, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. The pandemic has increased the national pet census.
But life with a dog is still easier in some cities than in others. Those who have analyzed and compared these services agree that there is none that meets all the requirements and that the picture is uneven. Aragón, they say, is the only region that prohibits the entry of pets inside places where food is served (bars, cafeterias and restaurants). While the rest of the communities leave the decision in the hands of the owners of the establishments – Pamplona and Santander have expressly prohibited access to the interiors in their ordinances, even though the regional law says otherwise. «The tourism sector must assume that being ‘dog-friendly’ is a value, it is good from the marketing point of view. It always adds, it does not subtract, ”says Muñoz. Proof that leisure with dogs has the potential to become an economic magnet is that in the first year of the pandemic, while many sectors were hit by the crisis, companies related to animal health and nutrition issues held up well. Not only that, the turnover figures for this sector in Spain reached 1,700 million euros, the highest figure in its history.
large parks
Continuing with the geographical route, and in the ranking of cities that have good canine areas where dogs can walk freely in wide spaces, are Zaragoza, Madrid, La Coruña or Bilbao. Do not confuse, say the specialists, with the ‘pipicanes’, which are usually spaces with a limited surface. On the opposite side are Teruel and Huesca, which prohibit entry to the parks.
And on the beach?
Muñoz gives a positive example of San Sebastian because there most of the year dogs can walk along its beaches and Malaga, a pioneer in implanting canine DNA to achieve excrement-free streets. In addition, both cities have an excellent range of restaurants and tourist attractions to attend with pets. On the opposite side is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which prohibits families with dogs from walking along the promenade that runs along Las Canteras beach, one of the city’s showcases. “Wouldn’t it be better to carry out awareness-raising actions and apply exemplary fines to those who do not pick up poop instead of prohibiting a large part of its citizens from enjoying this key area for recreation?” Muñoz wonders.
Other ‘dog-friendly’ spaces are Alba de Tormes (Salamanca), Antequera (Málaga), Cáceres or Mérida. “If I were a dog, I would like to live in Gijón, and if I had to visit others it would be Ponferrada, León or Vigo”, highlights Miguel Guerra, from the Viajacontumascota blog, who criticizes that many accommodations have restrictions with large dogs.
By bus and by subway
As for public transport, seven places allow traveling with a dog on a leash and without a carrier on urban buses (Cartagena, San Sebastián, Fuengirola, Irún, Orense, Palma de Mallorca, Sant Cugat del Vallès and Alcoy). Although this is a point where the variations are almost endless: some cities like Valencia only allow dogs on public transport if they weigh less than 15 kilos –there they have their own bonus for dogs–; in Gipuzkoa they are pioneers in allowing dogs of all sizes on intercity buses (with muzzles). As for the metro, of the eight cities with underground only Madrid and Barcelona allow access with a dog on a leash and with a muzzle. In Bilbao, only small dogs in arms or carriers weighing less than 8 kilos.
“The awareness that exists regarding animals is increasing. We trust that this will continue to advance and we will find more facilities and fewer prohibitions, ”says Guerra.