Barcelona , 27/10/2013.- As part of the celebration of the 9th Salon Animaladda , the Councillor of the Presidency and Territory of the City Council of Barcelona , Mr. Jordi Martí Galbis , announced at a press conference that the city of Barcelona and TMB ( Transports Metropolitans of Barcelona) have reached an agreement to allow, from September 2014, dogs on the Barcelona Metro. Currently , only small pets in cages or baskets, assistance dogs and TMB security dogs are allowed to enter the Metro system.

Barcelona will join many European cities, including Berlin, Brussels , Amsterdam and Geneva, which already allow dogs on public transport .

Jordi Martí said that the agreement with TMB reflects that many people live in close coexistence with animals and so to allow them to travel on the network is a normal extension of this.

The agreement carries certain conditions to ensure public safety and the well-being of the animals themselves . Moreover, he said that "common sense and responsible pet ownership is the dominant note” and that the same criteria and requirements of civil responsibility for the behaviour and control of the animals will be applied in the Barcelona Underground as elsewhere in the city.

The commitment was made in line with the Municipal Action Plan (MAP 2012-2015). The Department of the Presidency and Territory has worked with both the public transport operator and animal rights and animal welfare organizations in the context of a joint Commission created by the Municipal Council of Coexistence, Defense and Protection of Animals.