Dariusz Mucha, a Forum councillor, asked the mayor during the August Council session about the possibility of locating a dog play area in the square near Cicha Street in Bolesławiec. The councillor argued that, because of the pavement built by the Municipal Housing Management Company, the square had been divided into two parts. A dog-waste container was placed in one of them, and suddenly the area became a gathering place for all the residents. “If a small enclosure were created in the other part so that dogs could run, play and romp freely, it would be a way of responding to the expectations of residents who own dogs,” added D. Mucha.
“I saw something like that in Barcelona,” commented P. Roman. “And I liked it very much. I have one doubt: do residents want such a play area? This issue needs to be discussed. Hell is paved with good intentions. The issue of dogs is difficult because, in Poland, the legal regulations in no way correspond to those in other countries. I don’t know if you are aware, but in Bolesławiec County someone is bitten by a dog every other day. According to sanitary inspection data, there are more than 160 such cases annually.
Czy w naszym mieście przydałaby się bawialnia dla psów?
“I know what the situation is like in the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic,” the mayor continued. “The solutions there are very strict. I think no one in this room would want to be bitten by a dog, especially if the dog has not been vaccinated. I was recently bitten by an unvaccinated dog. Do you know what penalty its owner received? PLN 100. I’m saying that we are dealing with a certain level of civic culture. At the councillors’ request, we installed containers with bags for dog waste. Then some teachers reported to me that children had their second breakfast in those bags. We have quite a lot of situations like that.
Piotr Roman stressed that he was generally in favour: “But first, I’m afraid of opposition from residents. Second, how can we prevent an aggressive dog from causing an unpleasant incident? I believe this is one of the most serious issues in Poland that has not yet been resolved, and this has happened only because everyone is afraid to address it. They will immediately be seen as people who dislike animals and know nothing about them. In the United Kingdom, dog-bite cases result in the owner of the four-legged animal having to visit an animal psychologist once a week and pay for it.