Water, Vinegar, and Fines up to 750 Euros: Fuengirola Will Require Dilution of Canine Urine in Public Spaces

Residents of Fuengirola who own a dog will need to start getting used to (if they haven't already): when going out with their pet, they must ... carry a bottle filled with water and vinegar to dilute the urine. Failing to do so will result in fines that can reach up to 750 euros.

The bottle—or "little bottle," as the local council has called it—will be mandatory once the amendment to the Civic Coexistence Ordinance comes into effect, which was approved by the city council last week and is now being processed by the Municipality. To "make the use of a liquid solution of water and vinegar to rinse pet urine mandatory," the Council will change three articles of the ordinance (23, 24, and 38).

Awareness and Dissemination

"For several years now, we have been running awareness campaigns to use bottles with water and vinegar to dilute urine, and now, we take a step further and make it mandatory," explained the mayor, Ana Mula, who today announced this measure that is "aimed at improving the health and image of all neighborhoods and public spaces in the city."

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The mayor of Fuengirola, Ana Mula, announced this decision today.

In this regard, Mula has recalled that the local entity has been promoting this good practice for years through advertisements on television and municipal social networks, as well as distributing small bottles among the residents for use. She also stated that they will intensify these campaigns "as long as the processing is effective and is definitively approved, throughout the current year 2026."

The same plenary proposal has framed the non-compliance of this action as a cause for a "minor" sanction, but it translates into economic fines that can reach up to 750 euros. "Issuing fines is not the measure we like to take, but it becomes necessary for everyone to be aware that a simple gesture like rinsing our pets' pee in public is good for everyone. We must ensure, among all, perfect harmony and coexistence among neighbors, whether they are pet owners or not, as well as the general good condition of our public spaces," reasoned the mayor.