(ANSA) - ROME, FEBRUARY 11 - Tomorrow in Lazio and Lombardy there will be votes for the regional elections and being Sunday, observes the International Organization for the Protection of Animals (Oipa), it would be "convenient to combine civic duty with the pleasure of walking with our beloved dog" .
To those who wonder if it can be taken to the polling station and to the voting booth, Oipa gives some indications.
"For the Ministry of the Interior, there is no impediment: there are no prescriptions forbidding the voter to be accompanied by his own dog, but it is the president of the polling station who has the possibility of allowing or denying access to our four-legged friend. Let us keep in mind - he warns Oipa - that there may be particular reasons, hopefully true, for which the chairman of the polling station can prohibit access to Fido", explains the head of the Oipa legal helpdesk, the lawyer Claudia Taccani, "for example, the presence at the polling station of people who are phobic or who may have allergic reactions to the presence of dogs. In cases like these it is necessary to balance interests and guarantee the right to vote, always respecting the animal whose protection, let us remember, is provided for in article 9 of the Constitution".
Oipa underlines that, however, no prohibition or limitation can exist for guide dogs for blind people.
The dog must be brought "on a leash, avoiding the 'leash' and the sliding mode in the case of an extendable leash. It is also advisable to wear a muzzle to be worn, as required by law, only in case of need and, therefore, if required to access the seat with the four-legged".
It is also useful to inquire at the entrance of the building which urns are hospitable: usually, adds Oipa, the same police forces can provide us with instructions and, in case of doubt, we explain that there is already a positive indication from the ministry of 'Internal", continues the lawyer Taccani. "In case of denied access, never leave our dog unattended outside the school: he could suffer stress or get scared.
Finally, we remind you that we could be liable in the event of damage caused by our dog even if he is not with us at that moment, and above all we always keep in mind that the danger of theft of unattended animals is always imminent" concludes Oipa.
(ANSA).
