‘I travelled to Spain and dog owners do one thing differently’

When taking your pup out for a walk, the last thing you likely consider is all the places your dog will pee. It’s widely accepted that it’s just something dogs do, and there’s no expectation to clean up after your pooch, regardless of where they urinate.

However, one couple found the complete opposite when they were in Spain, and they received quite the culture shock when people “yelled” at them for not being more respectful.

TikTok users Lance and Dua, who post online as @theldworld, shared it was “only in Spain” they’d seen something like this, not in America or Iceland, where the pair are from.

Dua explained they’d been told they had to “wash Rudi’s [their dog’s] pee with a water bottle”.

Lance then demonstrated what they’d been told to do by a local, showing the pee had to be completely covered and washed away by the shop-bought water.

Dua explained they “have been yelled at by locals” on several occasions for not cleaning up after their pooch.

She shared that one man even “made a scene” when there were a lot of people around. She tried to explain to the man she didn’t “have water” to wash away the pee, asking him, “What am I supposed to do?”

Lance shared he’d been “yelled at every time” by unimpressed locals. He’d been caught in the act by a woman on a balcony who decided to put her two pennyworth in about what he was doing.

During the video, Lance also fumed that someone had their dog off-leash without a water bottle. They were baffled the rule wasn’t implemented widely, but they’d been chastised over it.

Lance said he was being “dead serious” when he alleged he was the “only one getting yelled at” for the behaviour.

However, it seems as though the pair got off lightly, as some areas in Spain require dog owners to not just wash away their dog’s pee with water, but a disinfectant solution.

The Local Police in Seville were even given the authority to sanction pet owners who weren’t carrying disinfectant solution and fine those who fail to rinse away their dog’s waste, according to Paws Patas.

It comes as Spain is trying to keep the streets as clean as possible, and free of dog messes, including pee, as in hot weather, it can become unbearably smelly.

In the TikTok video, someone complained the pair seemed to be “complaining about cleaning up” after their dog.

Someone seethed: “It is the law now in many parts of Spain & you can be fined €€€ for not doing it. Locals are yelling at you because you are clearly foreigners. The fact that this has happened to you multiple times & you still forget the water bottle is disrespectful. As a fellow immigrant, please do better.”

Another added: “Starting spring 2026, Barcelona will enforce a new regulation requiring dog owners to clean their pet’s urine from streets using water or a disinfectant solution (like soap or vinegar). This is part of the upcoming reform of the city’s Civility Ordinance.

“Although the measure was approved by the city’s government commission in mid-2025, it is not yet in effect. Final approval is expected in November 2025, followed by official enforcement a few months later. Dog owners who fail to comply may face fines of up to €300.”

Others backed the couple, however, saying that “kindness is free,” and they shouldn’t have “yelled” when explaining the rules.