Pick up or pay up!

FREE pet kits are being handed out to dog owners in Alicante from today (Friday, August 7) to encourage people to keep the streets clean and avoid fines of up to €780.
THE kits consist of a bone-shaped case for plastic bags to collect dog mess ‘and throw in the bins provided’.
In addition, dog owners will be given ‘a flexible water bottle’ with which to ‘dilute canine urine and thus avoid bad odours’.
They can be collected at Alicante city’s ecopoint or from the council offices.
“The objective of this free delivery to pet owners is to facilitate the task of dog owners and raise awareness of the need to take responsibility for the waste left by their pets among those who still avoid doing so,” said Councillor for Street Cleaning, Manuel Villar.
“With this joint initiative involving Alicante City Council and the UTE Alicante, the aim is to add more pet owners to the army of people who are already aware and who comply with the current ordinance; and to put an end to the uncivil behaviour of a small group of people who affect us all with their lack of solidarity, added Villar.
Pet owners who ‘abandon their responsibility’ face a fine of up to €780.