Rome bans Goldfish
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051026/od_nm/italy_pets_dc

The city of Rome has banned goldfish bowls, which animal rights activists say are cruel, and has made regular dog-walks mandatory in the Italian capital, the town's council said Tuesday.

The classic spherical fish bowls are banned under a new by-law which also stops fish or other animals being given away as fairground prizes. It comes after a national law was passed to allow jail sentences for people who abandon cats or dogs.

"It's good to do whatever we can for our animals who in exchange for a little love fill our existence with their attention," said Monica Cirinna, the councilor behind the by-law.

"The civilization of a city can also be measured by this," she told Rome daily Il Messaggero.

The newspaper reported that round bowls caused fish to go blind. No one at Rome council was available to confirm this was why they were banned. Many fish experts say round bowls provide insufficient oxygen for fish.

In July 2004, parliament passed a law setting big fines and jail terms for people who abandon pets and since then local governments have added their own animal welfare rules many of which will be difficult to police.

The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to fine pet owners up to 500 euros if they do not walk their dogs at least three times a day.

The new Rome by-law requires owners to regularly exercise their dogs, and bans them from docking their pets' tails for aesthetic reasons.

It also provides legal recognition for cat lovers who provide food for the colonies of strays which live everywhere from the city's ancient Roman ruins to modern office car parks.

Animal rights groups estimate that around 150,000 pet dogs and 200,000 cats are abandoned in Italy every year.

Raph's Girl note: I'd like to point out that Goldfish bowls do NOT make fish blind. Goldfish are like nearsighted in the fracken first place. Plus there are parts you can buy to make the oxygen supply in the bowls more better for the animals! DUH! :x

see, as the long time manager of the fish and reptile department of a pet store, I have to say I support this.

yes, goldfish are nearsighted and no, they do not go blind in bowls....but they do need about five gallons of water for every inch of body length. (unlike tropical fish that do well with one gallon per inch, generally speaking.) You just don't get that in bowls.

Goldfish do not "grow to their environment" they just survive until they get too big and die....usually about a year at best in a bowl...pretty well sucks when you could live something like 50 years if you were well taken care of.

If you want a really great bowl fish, get a siamese fighting fish...at least they can breath atmospheric oxygen through their labyrinth organ.

yay Rome. Animal cruelty includes more than just dogs and cats.

My goldfish lived in a bowl for 6 years before it passed away. This doesn't seem to make any sense.

IMO, goldfish are effected by the way they are taken care of, not by their environment.

I was gonna bitch about that law, but that statement makes perfect sense.

That's great! It does make a difference how they are cared for. I just saw too many kids bring in dead goldfish, only to replace them with more ill-fated goldfish.

I'm glad you were/are a responsible fish owner. I wish more people were like you ;)

Thanks, Katie.:)

The sad thing is, it would probably still be alive today if I didn't have to move and leave it with my sister, which was the worst mistake I ever made. :(

I miss it alot.

I'm moving to Rome. =D