Holidays with dog in Italy

Tourists who plan to go on holiday to Italy with dogs or other pets must be prepared in advance. They need to know the conditions and requirements that must be followed during transportation of your pet to Italy.

In order to take your dog with you on vacation to Italy a pet needs a passport of required European standard. This document specifies the description of the animal, its nickname, as well as residential address of the owner. It is also needed the certificate that the dog is vaccinated against rabies.

Primary vaccination should be made at least 21 days before the trip to Italy. Re-vaccination has special rules that depend directly on the type of vaccine. In any case, before going on holiday to Italy with a pet it is recommended to consult a veterinarian. He is able to answer all the questions of the pet owners. When it comes to puppy, which is less than three months, then the certificate on its vaccination is not needed. Nevertheless, the passport of the European standard will be required.
For a trip to Italy with a dog you need to provide the animal with a chip for identification. Until 2011 this procedure is carried out with the tattoo (usually on the inner surface of the animal’s ear). From 2011 stamp for the chip will be enough.

Those who plan to take on vacation to Italy several dogs should pay attention to the fact that entry is permitted if there is no more than five dogs. It is very important to know that entry to Italy with dogs such as pit bull, doberman and rottweiler is prohibited. These dogs are considered as the most dangerous, so they cannot vacation in Italy.

Muzzle and leash for the dog must always be with you, especially for big dogs. In many places in Italy, especially in public, the dog must be leashed, and in some places, even in a muzzle regardless of the breed of the dog or its size. Traveling in Italy itself with the dog, for example, by train is allowed if the pet is leashed and muzzled.

In all Italian beaches dogs are not allowed to enter. The beach does not have signs for it. There are special instructions and conditions on which dogs are permitted to enter the beach. However, during the "off-season" local authorities dissemble travels with dogs, so to many places, and even to the beach, you may take your pet. Nevertheless, one must be careful and know exactly that the Italian law prohibits the presence of dogs on the beach. Moreover, according to the local practice, dog owners pay a large fine for violation of these orders.