The Santa Cruz City Council, through the Public Services Department, has imposed two fines on different residents of the capital for engaging in uncivic behaviour that violates the guidelines set out in the Waste Management and Public Space Cleaning Ordinances, as well as the Animal Protection and Ownership regulations. The total amount of both fines comes to €2,250.
First Infraction: Improper Waste Disposal
The first of the violations, which resulted in a fine of €2,001, was issued to the owner of a restaurant located in La Candelaria square. On two occasions, rubbish bags were left outside the containers.
The initial report took place on 17 December 2024, when the night inspection service from Valoriza, the contractor responsible for municipal cleaning, detected a rubbish bag left outside the eco-island on General Gutiérrez Street at 23:45. “When they have bags filled with mixed waste, they take them out without separating, outside of hours, and do not bother to place them in the empty container,” noted the report sent to the Public Services Department, which DIARIO DE AVISOS has accessed. This incident was repeated on 27 February, at 00:09.
As a result, on 10 July, the City Council informed the business of the fine amounting to €2,001, classified as serious under the ordinance. Should the owner acknowledge responsibility, the fine will be reduced by 20% to €1,600, and if they pay voluntarily, they will only need to pay €1,200.
Second Infraction: Animal Control Violation
The second resident penalised was for a different issue, violating the Animal Protection and Ownership ordinance. This fine, amounting to €250, originated on 27 May when a Local Police officer in Santa Cruz issued an infringement notice to a man in García Sanabria Park for walking his dog without a lead, which then attacked another dog.
The events occurred around 14:45 in the capital’s park when a citizen alerted authorities to the fight. “We arrived at García Sanabria and found the aggressive dog with its owner. A couple of witnesses present reported that the dog caught another small dog and did not release it until it was dead. After a few minutes, the owner of the attacked dog (who had been at the veterinarian) arrived with it in his arms, but it was already deceased. Valle Colino attended the scene and took charge of the aggressive dog,” the report details.
The fine, classified as minor, pertains to the ordinance stipulating that “in public or private communal spaces, companion animals must be walked on a lead or harness that allows for their control.”
