Costa Del Sol’s New Dog Dna Registration Rule: What Pet Owners Need To Know

DOG OWNERS, a caller regularisation has travel into effect successful respective municipalities successful Spain that could bring a good of much than €300 if not followed: registering your pets’ DNA. Many municipalities crossed nan state are now requiring that canine owners not only microchip their pets, but besides registry a DNA sample astatine nan veterinarian successful an effort to combat canine excrement successful nationalist spaces.

A measurement to curb nationalist mess

The measurement has already been implemented successful a number of municipalities, but nan request has only precocious deed nan Costa del Sol. The purpose of nan caller measurement is to debar nationalist wellness problems, sphere nan wellness of nan ecosystems (that is, plants arsenic good arsenic animals), and support nationalist spaces clean, walkable, and litter-free. If immoderate canine droppings are near successful nan open, authorities person nan intends to return it for DNA testing and rumor fines to nan proprietor responsible.

What happens if I do not comply pinch nan DNA registration?

In immoderate towns wherever nan DNA registration is simply a requirement, dog owners could look an eye-watering good of much than €300 (in Catalonia, for example, nan good could beryllium up to €500) for leaving their pup’s excrement lying successful a nationalist place. To debar a hefty fine, beryllium judge to prime up aft your pets and dispose of it properly, leaving it tied successful a bag.                

Many citizens besides kick that canine owners often return their pets for a locomotion without immoderate integrative bags to prime up aft them, aliases are distracted by their phones while their pet is doing its business.

Is registering my pet’s DNA a request successful my municipality aliases city?

Whether DNA registration is mandatory aliases obligatory tin alteration from municipality to town. The champion measurement to make judge is to double cheque pinch nan section municipality aliases metropolis hall. 

Some municipalities wherever nan DNA registration is mandatory include:

• Fuengirola, Malaga province
• Mijas, Malaga province
• Benalmadena, Malaga province
• Estepona, Malaga province
• Torremolinos, Malaga province
• Alcala de Henares, Madrid area
• Tres Cantos, Madrid area
• Cornella de Llobregat, Catalonia province
• Other municipalities successful Catalonia besides require nan DNA registration, but whether it is obligatory varies by region

How overmuch does it costs to registry my pet’s DNA?

The value varies by region, but nan costs for astir group will typically autumn betwixt €30 and €60, pinch galore reporting that it fell astir nan €50 scope for them. Some municipalities, peculiarly successful nan Costa del Sol wherever nan measurement is comparatively new, are offering discounts for first rollouts.

Do I person to registry different types of pets arsenic well?

As of November 2025, nary Spanish municipality requires owners of different types of pets that are not dogs (cats, rabbits, birds, etc.) to registry their animals’ DNA. However, microchips are still mandatory for each dogs, cats, and ferrets successful Spain, and it is bully believe to prime up aft your animals sloppy of nan ineligible obligations of your municipality (not to mention, it’s nan neighbourly point to do).

How to registry your dog’s DNA

After confirming whether nan registration is obligatory successful your area, nan process is comparatively simple, whether adopting a canine for nan first clip aliases taking a long-time furry family friend to get registered.

1. Go to your section veterinarian to return a saliva sample (another type of DNA sample whitethorn beryllium required, depending connected nan region and institution) and registry nan dog. This tin beryllium done alongside nan regular microchip and vaccination process.
2. The proprietor will beryllium fixed a typical collar tag pinch a QR codification upon completion of nan process, which they should support connected their pet’s collar to debar fines.
3. Avoid ineligible issues, fines, and unexpected delays by registering nan pet arsenic soon arsenic possible.
4. Keep each your pet’s documents (adoption papers, collar tags, etc.) organised and on-hand should it ever beryllium needed.

The group sound their opinion: A amazingly arguable nationalist wellness measure

While nan caller request intends to amended nationalist wellness and walkable spaces, nan announcement has drummed up a astonishing magnitude of controversy, peculiarly from nan Costa del Sol wherever nan measurement is caller successful galore places. While immoderate residents are staunchly successful favour of nan caller regulation, others are dismissing it arsenic a measurement for nan authorities to return much money from nan citizens, and immoderate are connected nan obstruction astir nan rumor altogether.

“I prime up my dog’s poo, truthful I don’t deliberation I’m going to walk truthful overmuch money connected that nonsense,” writes 1 Facebook user.

“When they do that pinch quality excrement and each nan litter that’s near […] that’s erstwhile I’ll do that pinch my dogs. Until then, I’ll support picking up aft them. And if they want to good us, they should put up a canine park, since location are 3 successful nan full of Estepona.”

Indeed, location were galore users that assented to proceed picking up aft their pets, but stated outright they were not going to registry them. “Let’s besides analyse nan saliva near by group connected cans, bottles, cigaret butts. Urine […] They don’t cognize what to do anymore to return our money. I ever prime up aft my animals, but travel on, I’m not going to do that nonsense.”

Other users see it a awesome point for nan section communities, citing that galore areas are afloat of canine excrement and irresponsible pet owners. “Around present nan constabulary position and its gardens are afloat of canine poo,” writes 1 personification connected nan Costa del Sol. “Where location were prohibited signs, they return them away. And we person to woody pinch nan smell.”

“If you don’t want to prime it up, don’t person a dog!” writes different user, staunchly successful favour.

Whether successful favour of nan measure, against it, aliases connected nan obstruction astir it, 1 point is clear: Spain is readying to much wide adopt this nationalist wellness regulation, and nan much informed nan nationalist stays, nan amended they tin debar a pocket-punching fine.

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