The Amposta City Council will launch this Friday, May 1st, the campaign I also have Amposta DNA, with which it will activate the municipal canine genetic registry. The measure will oblige dog owners in the municipality to register their animals through a DNA test between May 1 and July 31, 2026.
The initiative is part of the Ordinance on the protection, keeping, and sale of animals and seeks to improve civility in public spaces, in addition to reinforcing the protection of companion animals. The council proposes registration as a tool to act against uncivil behavior and to guarantee better identification of dogs.
Mandatory registration and three price tiers
During the campaign, the cost of the test will be set in three tiers. It will be 35 euros from May 1 to June 15, 40 euros from June 16 to July 31, and 45 euros from August 1. The rollout will be done in phases with the intention of encouraging owners to complete the process within the initial deadline.
"We have established three price brackets to incentivize owners to register their animals within the deadline" - Iris Castell, Councilor for Governance
Failure to comply with the obligation to register animals may result in sanctions of up to 400 euros. In addition to this, there are other fines already provided for by municipal regulations. Not picking up feces can incur a fine of 200 euros, not diluting urine 100 euros, and walking the dog without a leash another 100 euros. In case of repetition, penalties can reach 1,500 euros.
How Genetic Identification Will Be Done
The system will allow for the unique identification of each dog from a saliva sample, extracted simply and painlessly at authorized veterinary centers in the city. The authorized establishments are Animalons Clínica Veterinària, Clínica Veterinària Adrià Moreso, and Centre Veterinària Dra. Anna Porres Montsià Veterinaris.
The sample will be analyzed by the awarded company and will be directly incorporated into the municipal database. Once the registration is completed, the owner will receive a plaque with a QR code to place on the animal's collar.
Civic and Animal Welfare Objective
The mayor of Amposta, Adam Tomàs, has pointed out that the project is the result of two years of intense work and has framed the measure within the need to act against uncivil behaviors with a visible impact on the city.
"We are convinced that it will be a useful tool to reduce these behaviors and improve the cleanliness of public space" - Adam Tomàs, mayor of Amposta
Councilwoman Iris Castell has also highlighted the animal welfare aspect. She explained that the census will not only serve to combat incivility, but also to fight against abandonment and ensure that all animals are correctly identified with a microchip.
From the company in charge of the service, its CEO, Enrique Perigüell, has defended that this system already works in more than 100 municipalities in the State and that it has proven effective. He also assured that the objective is to reduce the presence of excrement in public spaces by up to 80% in an approximate period of six months and that genetic registration will facilitate action in cases of mistreatment or abandonment thanks to the traceability of the animals.
"For us it is a very important tool, especially to be able to identify cases of abandonment and act" - Núria Espanya, Associació Engrescats
The representative of the Associació Engrescats, Núria Espanya, has positively valued the initiative and has insisted that a large part of the abandonments come from areas outside the urban center. That is why she considers it key that the obligation extends to the entire municipal area, in a campaign with which Amposta wants to regulate dog ownership and reduce the impact of uncivil behavior on the street.