All you need to know about living with a dog in Barcelona

Barcelona is a beautiful Spanish city known for being a major cultural and economic hub in Europe. The city is home to beautiful medieval architecture, world heritage sights, and numerous parks and beaches. Barcelona is a great city to live with your pet dog; you will find people with their dogs all over the city at all times. Barcelona is incredibly pet-friendly, and you can bring your pup along when you go shopping, or to a restaurant or café, to the beach and on the public transit system.

Pet dogs travelling to Barcelona must fulfil all pet import regulations satisfactorily to enter the country. If you plan to travel to Barcelona with your pet, here’s what you need to know about living in the Spanish city with a dog.

Pet owner responsibilities

As a pet owner in Barcelona, you have several responsibilities towards your dog. A pet parent must ensure their dog is well-cared for and lives in a clean and hygienic environment. Their physical and emotional needs must be met, and they must receive medical attention whenever required.

• Register your dog – One of the first things to do is register your dog at the Barcelona Register for Pet Animals and Wild Animals in Captivity. You will need your pet’s microchip details and a health certificate from your vet to register your dog. If your dog belongs to a potentially dangerous breed, you will also need a separate pet licence for your dog.
• Pick up after your dog – When you walk around Barcelona, you cannot fail to notice the sheer number of pet dogs being walked in the city. When you walk your doggie in Barcelona, make sure you pick up after your pet. There is a fine of 1500 Euros on pet owners who do not pick up after their pets. Fines and punishments aside, it is just good hygiene and good manners to clean up your pet.
• Be respectful – As a pet parent in Barcelona, you must be respectful of your neighbours. Make sure your dog does not bark all day or night and disturb the peace. You are also obliged to ensure your pet dog doesn’t cause any harm to people or other animals and damage to property.
• Microchip and vaccinate – Remember to vaccinate your pet dog regularly to keep them healthy and disease-free. A microchip is a tiny transponder that is implanted between the dog’s shoulder blades. It is invaluable in tracing lost and stolen dogs and for verifying the identity of the dog.

Public transport with dogs in Barcelona

You can take your dog on the metro in Barcelona outside peak hours. If your pet is a small breed, you can take them on the metro at any time as long as they are in a carrier. Large breeds need to be on a lead and muzzled. Dogs are not allowed on the bus in Barcelona unless they are a small breed and travel in a dog carrier. Dogs are also allowed on the tram and short-distance trains.

Things to do in Barcelona with your dog

Living in Barcelona with your pet dog is enjoyable because there is plenty of fun and adventurous things to do in the city with your dog. The city has several pet-friendly amenities such as dog-friendly public parks and beaches and public transport. Here are some fun things to do in Barcelona with your dog:

• Walk around the historic city – The best thing to do in Barcelona with your dog is to take a walk around the city and take in the beautiful, historic architecture.
• Visit Perros al Agua – Europe’s first waterpark just for dogs; Bring your pup here if they love being in the water and watch them as they have the time of their lives! This waterpark is great for dogs of all sizes and breeds. The waterpark has big pools, sand dunes, rest areas, shops and restaurants — a must-visit place for all water-loving dogs and dog parents.
• Take your dog to the beach – Barcelona has several beautiful beaches where you and your dog can play and relax. Though not all beaches are dog-friendly, there are beaches with specially ear-marked spaces for dogs. Visit the Llevant beach, Playa de Les Salines, and Cala Vallcarca beaches for water fun with your dog.
• Spend an afternoon at a park – Barcelona has many beautiful gardens across the city, and several of them are dog-friendly. Take a stroll in the historic Park Guell, designed by the famous Antoni Gaudi. Other dog friendly parks are Parc de la Ciutadella, Parc del Clot, Parc de la Barceloneta, and Joan Miro Park.

Pet-friendly restaurants in Barcelona

Many restaurants in Barcelona are pet-friendly and let you dine in with your dog. Many of them have outdoor patio seating where you and your dog can enjoy and a good meal. Here are some restaurants and cafés in Barcelona that welcome dogs:

• Dog Café
• Merbeyé
• La Taberna del Cobre
• BioCenter
• Cornelia and Company

Pet transport to Barcelona

Living in Barcelona with your pet dog is easy because of how incredibly pet-friendly the city is. Dog-friendly housing and vacation rentals are easy to come by, and there’s so much to do in the city with your beloved doggy.

Pet parent need to follow all Spanish pet import regulations to travel to Barcelona with their dog. These rules are complex and sometimes time-consuming; failure to follow them can lead to long quarantine periods, or worse, your dog might be sent back to the country of origin.

If you are planning to travel to Barcelona with your pet dog, it is best to reach out to an IPATA-member pet travel agency to help with the transport. An experienced travel agent will ensure your pet reach their destination comfortably and have a zero-harm pet travel experience. Reach out to Petraveller for more information on pet travel to Spain and a free pet travel quote.