In Italy, dogs' bark is worse than their bite!

Dog owners in an Italian town could face a fine of up to 500 euros if their pets bark during the hours of the riposo, the Italian afternoon nap. Controne in Italy’s southern province of Campania has banned canine barking between 2 pm and 4 pm.Due to a new mayoral ordinance issued this week, dog owners now face fines of between 20 euros and 500 euros if their dogs bark during the hours of the riposo.

Not only must pet owners ensure that their dogs do not make any noise between 2 pm and 4 pm but they must too keep them quiet overnight, ‘Il Mattino’ reported.The measure also aims to crack down on other offensive canine behaviour, and improve the welfare of the town’s dogs.Owners will also face fines for not rinsing their dog pee from the pavement, while their pets must also not be left alone in public spaces, The local reported.Dogs who are tied up are now required to have chains at least five metres long and access to food and water.