Premià de Mar approves the animal ownership ordinance with mandatory DNA for dogs

The Plenary of the Premià de Mar City Council, in its session on September 23, 2026, definitively approved the Municipal Ordinance regulating Animal Ownership, which replaces the regulation in force since 2005. The full text is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona on October 20, 2026, in the local administration section, with the official reference CVE 202610150938. The agreement may be appealed before the High Court of Justice of Catalonia within a period of two months starting from the day following the publication of the announcement.

The full publication is made in accordance with Article 66 of Decree 179/1995, of June 13, which approves the regulation of works, activities, and services of local entities, and the text has informative value according to Article 63.2 of Law 19/2014, on transparency. The regulation expressly repeals the Municipal Ordinance Regulating Animal Ownership approved on February 16, 2005, and any other municipal provision that opposes it. The document bears the signature of the mayor, Rafael Navarro Álvarez, and is dated October 5, 2026.

A census with mandatory genetic identification

The most relevant change is the obligation for dog owners to provide the animal’s DNA profile to the City Council. The preamble justifies the measure to combat the presence of canine excrement on public roads, parks, and children’s play areas, and emphasizes that the objective “is not revenue-generating” but rather to eliminate these residues and improve public health.

The deadlines for compliance are as follows:

• Dogs already registered in the census: 9 months from the entry into force to deliver the genetic code.
• Newly registered dogs: DNA certification within 20 business days following registration in the census.
• Registration in the municipal census: 3 months from birth or 30 days from acquisition, adoption, or change of residence.
• Communication of loss or theft of the animal: maximum 48 hours.
• Deregistrations, transfers, or changes of data: 30 days.

The City Council may promote a campaign during the first six months to facilitate the obtaining of identification, assuming the cost totally or partially. A municipal tax for dog ownership is also foreseen, with an exemption for assistance dogs.

Limits per household and neighborhood coexistence

The regulation generally limits the possession of companion animals to three dogs or cats in multi-family dwellings and to five in single-family dwellings, without the need for express authorization. Municipal technicians may reduce or increase this number depending on the characteristics of the animals, the available space, or the nuisance caused to the neighborhood.

Regarding coexistence, it is prohibited to leave animals in courtyards, terraces, galleries, or balconies between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. if they disturb the neighbors’ rest, and feeding pigeons on public roads is prohibited. On public roads, dogs must be leashed and collared, and the removal of droppings is mandatory; urine must be diluted with water. It is also prohibited to leave a companion animal unsupervised for more than three consecutive days, a period which, in the case of dogs, is reduced to 24 hours.

Other highlighted obligations include providing proof of a free training course with indefinite validity for owning dogs, as provided for in Article 30 of Law 7/2023, and contracting civil liability insurance when required. Annex I of the text lists about twenty municipal buildings where animal access is not permitted, such as the Roman Museum, the Premiart Room, sports pavilions, public schools, the nursery school, or the municipal cemetery.

Fines of up to 200,000 euros

The sanctioning regime is organized into three groups according to the originating regulation, with the following amounts:

• Legislative Decree 2/2008: minor from 300 to 3,000 euros; serious from 3,001 to 9,000; very serious from 9,001 to 45,000.
• Law 7/2023: minor from 500 to 10,000 euros; serious from 10,001 to 50,000; very serious from 50,001 to 200,000.
• Law 10/1999 (potentially dangerous dogs): 300 to 3,000 euros, 3,001 to 9,000, and 9,001 to 45,000, respectively.
• Law 50/1999: from 150.25 to 300.51 euros for minor; from 300.52 to 2,404.05 for serious; from 2,404.06 to 15,025.30 for very serious.

The authority to sanction corresponds to the mayor, except for serious and very serious infractions relating to potentially dangerous dogs, which are resolved by the Plenary. Recidivism can increase the fine up to double the maximum amount, and coercive fines of up to 3,000 euros are foreseen, increasable by 20% with each successive request. In the event of evidence of a serious or very serious fault, the City Council may seize the animal preventively, with the expenses borne by the owner.

Entry into force and appeals

The ordinance will enter into force once the full text is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona and the period provided for in Article 65.2 of Law 7/1985, regulating the bases of the local regime, has elapsed. The contentious-administrative appeal is governed by Articles 10 and 46 of Law 29/1998, of July 13.

The regulation directly affects all animal owners in the municipality, who must adapt to new duties of identification, census, and coexistence in a staggered calendar that extends up to nine months for the DNA of dogs already censused. For the municipal coffers, the text opens the way to income from ownership fees and a sanctioning regime with amounts that, in the case of Law 7/2023, quadruple the maximums of the previous regional regulations.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona, October 20, 2026, Local Administration, pp. 1-28 (official reference: CVE 202610150938).