A new dog park has opened recently in Ljubljana, and it is within Šmartinski park, covering 1500m2. The aim of the Municipality of Ljubljana (MOL) is to encourage the use of free dog parks, and thus create a clean and eco-friendly environment in cooperation with all: dog owners, dogs and other residents.
In this area of the park the dogs will be able to run freely, while in the rest of the park the owners must have their pets on a leash. There are benches for visitors, trash bins and bins for dog faeces.
In the past few years, the MOL has set up four dog parks in the following locations:
- along Vilharjeva ulica (within the Severni Park), there is A 930 m2 dog playground that opened in 2010
- in Štepanjsko naselje (near Pesaro) there is a of 960 m2 dog park that was established in 2013
- in Koseze, near the Koseze blocks at st. Bratov Učakar, a 1420 m2 dog park opened in 2016.
There are a growing number of people in Ljubljana who have dogs, and thus these parks serve a vital need, and make city friendlier to humans and their canine companions.
In addtion to these parks noted above, in Tivoli and Vič districts the MOL has set up two dog toilets, while within the City of Ljubljana there are also 234 dog bins in public areas where owners can leave their pets’ faeces. The bins are regularly emptied by PE Snaga Ljubljana.
Moreover, the socially responsible campaign “Clovek- a se ti zdi to v redu?” (“Man, does this seem OK to you?”) was established by MOL in order to raise raising public awareness of the importance of collecting dog faeces. MOL inspectors are also in action warning dog owners to clear up after their pets, and giving out biodegradable bags when needed.
