There are occasions when an institutional campaign created to resolve a problem ends up generating a much larger one. This is precisely what occurred in Elche with the municipal campaign regarding dog urine. What began as an initiative to promote cleaner streets ended up becoming one of the most talked-about local topics in recent weeks, forcing the municipal government to make a public U-turn.
Elche Council has started removing the posters installed across various neighbourhoods after the initiative sparked widespread backlash among pet owners. The decision follows a petition that gathered more than 2,500 signatures, as well as an intense political and social debate.
The campaign was presented at the end of June by Elche Council alongside the waste management concessionaire, UTE Elche. Its objective was to remind residents that the Municipal Cleaning Ordinance prohibits dogs from urinating on pavements, building facades, street furniture, flowerbeds, or landscaped areas. It instructed owners that pets must urinate on the roadway and that owners must subsequently clean the urine with soapy water, warning of fines reaching up to 750 euro in cases of non-compliance.
From the start, many dog owners felt the messaging was overly punitive, focusing on fines rather than raising awareness. This perception sparked a petition on Change.org that quickly gained momentum, surpassing 2,500 signatures. The organisers demanded a review of the campaign and called for alternatives that would balance street cleanliness with animal welfare.
The controversy reached the local council meeting through a motion presented by Compromís. During the debate, Public Spaces Councillor Claudio Guilabert admitted that the way the message was conveyed “did not go well”, apologised, and announced the immediate withdrawal of the campaign, a decision taken with the authorisation of Mayor Pablo Ruz. In the days following, posters began disappearing from various points across the city.
Opposition groups welcomed the correction, although both PSOE and Compromís insisted that the debate should not end simply with the removal of posters. Both parties defended the need to promote more educational awareness campaigns and to strengthen infrastructure for pets, including more dog parks and dedicated spaces for animals to relieve themselves. They also requested a review of municipal regulations to align them with current animal welfare legislation.
Meanwhile, the municipal government maintains that the ordinance remains unchanged, noting that these obligations existed prior to the campaign. While the mayor previously stated there were no plans to modify the text of the ordinance, the decision was ultimately taken to pull a campaign that had generated far greater public opposition than expected. In this case, public pressure prompted an unusual rectification: Elche Council acknowledged the communication error and removed a campaign that had become the focus of public debate.
