Italy has banned puppy yoga classes. The Ministry of Health has restricted the organizers to only work with adult dogs, as the classes could be too stressful for young canines. Moreover, the ministry has asked local authorities to perform regular checks on these classes to ensure the health of the puppies is not compromised.
Animal welfare concerns lead to puppy yoga ban in Italy
On April 29, Italy’s Ministry of Health noted that puppy yoga classes “improve well-being,” which makes them fall under the “animal-assisted therapy” category, per the BBC. However, legally speaking, adult animals should carry out animal-assisted therapy. Thus, the ministry instructs organizers to work with fully grown animals only.
The Ministry of Health also stated that organizers often borrow puppies from breeders for their classes. Dog expert Giusy D’Angelo highlighted the issue of the pups not being safely transported to the class locations. Dehydration can be one of the leading problems when the canines aren’t transported responsibly.
Per The Telegraph, there have been allegations of canines being denied water intake before or during the classes. This was to prevent the puppies from peeing during class. Practices such as these have led to several animal rights organizations campaigning to ban puppy yoga classes altogether.
Italy’s National Board for Animal Protection was also on board with the ban. The physically and mentally taxing activity can harm the puppies’ health. Italy isn’t the only country taking action. The UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also requested everyone to try out other recreational activities instead of puppy yoga.
D’Angelo was also concerned about the surge of emotions enthusiasts might experience during and after the experience. While adoption is fantastic, it needs to be well-planned. People adopting the puppies in the rush of the moment and giving them up when they find caring for the animal overwhelming is a possibility.
