05/11/2020

<<Tourist rides in horse-drawn carriages abolished! Possession and use of exotic animals in circuses forbidden! Illegal to keep animals on terraces or balconies without leaving access to indoors. These are the new restrictions become law from today in Verona, thanks to the new Comune regulations regarding the care and welfare of animals.>>

So begins the 30 October press release from the Comune of Verona which – thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Councillor for Animal Welfare Laura Bocchi and Mayor Federico Sboarina – has launched a new ground-breaking set of regulations for animal welfare.

In addition to this landmark abolition of horse drawn carriages for public use, and the ban on possession and use of exotic animals (including in circuses), plus the power given to the Mayor to ban people convicted of mistreatment or of killing animals from ever owning animals again, there are also several welfare rules governing pets, including rabbits. 

IHP has written to the Verona Comune congratulating them on this significant ruling which, as well as changing or introducing concrete regulations, also signals a symbolic cultural change. We hope that Verona now becomes an enlightened example to places such as Rome, Florence or Palermo, among many other cities, where horse-drawn carriages continue to be regarded as desirable tourist attractions, whereas in reality they are abusive, anachronistic and unjustifiable.