Coronavirus: Spanish police have fined people for walking bizarre pets including hens, fish and toy dogs
Spain has some of the toughest rules in the world as it battles the spread of coronavirus but some residents thought they had found a loophole.
With Spain in a state of emergency quarantine in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19, citizens have resorted to extreme and innovative measures to justify their walks outside.
The Spanish government's strict stay-at-home order allows people to leave their homes to walk their pets.
Desperate Spaniards have taken this on board and have been caught walking hens, fish and even fake dogs along the streets to stretch their legs.
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The Spanish government declared a state of emergency last Saturday, instructing its citizens to remain home for two weeks to weather the coronavirus storm.
People are only allowed to leave their homes for work, to go to the hospital, to buy medicine or food.
Dog owners are allowed to walk their pets but only for a short period of time.
On Friday the Spanish National Police tweeted an image of a man caught "walking" a fish in a bowl in Logroño, a town in northern Spain. He was penalised for violating government orders to stay inside due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Agentes de la @policia han sancionado a una persona por salir a "pasear" a sus peces por la calle. Los agentes le avistaron en #Logroño portando una pecera en contra de lo estipulado en el RD del Estado de Alarma.
— PolicÃa Nacional (@policia) April 24, 2020
#EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos pic.twitter.com/lOFVnDX6Fi
However, it’s not even the most bizarre case of pet walking that has emerged in Spain.
The police also released hilarious footage of a man walking his hen.
In the video, the man appears to be struggling to keep up with his pet chicken.
The chicken also cannot walk in a straight line, making the task of walking it quite difficult.
Perhaps the most bizarre example of pet walking was the case of the fake dog.
A resident in the northern Spain city of Palencia was ordered home by the police after he was found standing outside his apartment with a soft toy dog.
The video clearly shows that the man has given up on the ruse, after he drags the fake dog up into his arms by the neck.
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Pedimos SENSATEZ durante el #EstadoDeEmergencia por culpa del #COVID19.
— JUPOL (@JupolNacional) March 16, 2020
Estamos ante una situación MUY GRAVE como para andar por la calle intentando engañar a la @policia... NO nos engañas y además serás sancionado.
Es una cuestión de salud pública.#EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos pic.twitter.com/67cjOMNdC3
Spain isn’t the only country where citizens are twiddling their thumbs wishing they had a pet dog and a legitimate excuse to go outside.
Earlier this month, we reported on a rise in dog purchases across Australia, after lockdown measures were introduced.
The RSPCA reported a surge in pet adoptions since self-isolation recommendations began last month.
During this time, RSPCA NSW is committed to finding loving homes for all our available animals.
— RSPCA NSW (@RSPCANSW) April 1, 2020
Read all about our new adoption process here: https://t.co/i4lcvxZmS3 pic.twitter.com/WJOB8YES1l
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