In Italy, stray animals are a real problem affecting much of the peninsula. The solution for containing this phenomenon is practically self-evident: drastically reducing the birth rate by sterilising animals. Behind kennels and strays, however, lies a vast business, and the zoomafie reports by Lav argue that stray animals generate a turnover of 500 million euros a year. One of the regions where stray animals are most widespread, and where the problem is managed most poorly, is Puglia, which has large numbers of stray dogs and many more held in kennels.

To tackle this phenomenon, the municipality of Bisceglie, in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, has established that anyone who adopts a dog from the municipal kennel will pay lower taxes. The municipal council has approved the granting of incentives to families who adopt a dog, provided it is over one year old; in practice, this takes the form of a series of tax relief measures on local taxes (Tari).

This is not the first gesture towards eradicating stray animals and improving the lives of dogs promoted by the Pugliese municipality; it adds to the contributions for sterilising owned dogs already allocated by the municipal administration. "This is a measure of great importance for our city," declared the mayor of Bisceglie, Francesco Spina. "On the one hand we are trying to ensure that an animal without an owner and a family gets one; on the other, we are saving money both for citizens through Tari relief and for the municipality through reduced kennel expenses."

In order to benefit from the incentive, the regulations stipulate that the adopter must be the registered holder of a Tari account, with a reduction of 70 per cent applying to the adoption of a dog that has been in the kennel for at least three years. A reduction of 50 per cent will instead apply if the dog has been in the kennel for at least 180 days.

The initiative — also designed to discourage any potential exploitation of the animals — will be valid for the lifetime of the adopted dog. In the event of the animal's death, loss or transfer, any incentives will be recognised in partial form in proportion to the number of days of custody.