Proposal in Delaware would require 3 dog walks a day

In time for Delaware Day on December 7, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a proposal to state legislators urging them to make Delaware the first state to require a minimum of 3 dog walks a day.

According to the proposal, dog parents would have to make one of those walks an hour. PETA points out that dogs need them for necessary “bathroom breaks”, and to maintain healthy weight. They say it’s also important for mental stimulation.

“For most dogs, a walk is a real relief—pun intended—a chance to sniff the neighborhood news with their sensitive snouts and to see things other than four walls, and allowing them that at least three times a day isn’t asking much,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is asking the first state to ratify the Constitution to lead the nation in passing respectful legislation for dogs, who require mental stimulation, physical exercise, and bathroom breaks, just as their guardians do.”

In the proposal addressed to Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, Newkirk pointed to Turin, Italy, as a place where guardians are fined if they fail to walk their dogs three times a day.