More dog friendly?, by Sierra Curro

When you pet a dog it is known that the body releases serotonin and dopamine… so I am truly lucky to be living in Spain. I have found Spain to be extremely dog friendly! Whenever you pass outside seating at a restaurant there is a high chance there will be a dog laying at its owners feet under the table, while shopping between the clothing racks at Zara you might see a little dog face, on the patio tours in Cordoba you bet there are dogs roaming around amongst the tourists’ feet, strolling down any street or even la plaza de España you’ll see a dog tugging at its leash, and even as you are choosing what fruit you want at the grocery store there might be a dog sniffing around. I am not used to seeing so many dogs in so many different places. In the United States there is a lot of love for dogs and they are allowed in a lot of places outdoors, but it isn’t common to be strolling through the mall and see a dog. Additionally, you’ll get in a lot more trouble for bringing dogs into places with food. I worked at a grocery store and sometimes when people brought their dogs in, the boss would approach them and tell them they needed to leave it outside so then there would be a lot of dogs tied up outside. Recently, in September, animal welfare laws became stricter in Spain and one of the rules is that dogs cannot be tied up in public places - so you won’t see dogs outside grocery stores looking for their owners or outside stores like in the US. Additionally, the law states that dogs cannot be left alone for more than 24 hours so it makes sense that people will bring their dogs more places with them and Spain has made it more accessible to do so. Also, dogs in Spain have more regulations like muzzles or a short leash required in public spaces and a new law says that dogs must complete a training course which means that the behavior will improve. If dogs are well behaved they are more welcome in more public places. Dog friendliness may not be what people think of when they think of Spain but I have noticed it as a part of the culture. As we’ve discussed in class, culture stems from human made things and Spain has made laws to allow for the cultural norm of dog friendliness to continue. The connection between dogs and the public has been established as a behavior that is acceptable in Spain. This is not the case with all places one may go because culture cannot be viewed through the same lens everywhere. Dog culture in the US has its differences like tying up dogs outside and stricter rules on where dogs can go in public spaces. Spain on the other hand excuses more welcomeness towards canines and puts in effort to make laws protecting dogs. Personally, I am glad I could step out of my own culture to see what another place values. Dogs truly are man’s best friend in Spain.

Outside References:

 https://www.euronews.com/2023/09/29/spains-new-animal-welfare-law-explained-what-you-canand-cant-do#:~:text=Animals%20cannot%20be%20allowed%20to,pets%20one%20can%20have%3A%20five.https://www.surinenglish.com/spain/these-are-the-most-important-changes-that-20230822143759-nt.html