Banning goldfish bowls in Rome

Reuters is reporting that "Rome has banned goldfish bowls, which animal rights activists say are cruel, and has made regular dog-walks mandatory in the Italian capital".

Alright, that might be a bit much, I admit, but at least Italy is doing something about the serious problem of cruelty to animals, given that "around 150,000 pet dogs and 200,000 cats are abandoned in Italy every year": "In July 2004, parliament passed a law setting big fines and jail terms for people who abandon pets."

Well, yes, local governments are enacting their own rules and policing will be difficult. But it's a start.