Italian puppy yoga enthusiasts will have to return to traditional yoga. In a note published on April 29, the Italian Ministry of health announced the ban on this practice, where puppies wander between participants who perform yoga exercises, writes La Voix du Nord
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In its note, the Ministry of Health points out that “puppy yoga” falls under animal-assisted interventions (AIA), therapies that allow people to feel better physically or emotionally.
A question of animal welfare
However, “animal-assisted interventions cannot be carried out on puppies but only on adults, a necessary condition to protect their health and well-being”.
Checks will be carried out to ensure that the ban on “puppy yoga” – a popular practice in Italy – is respected.
In France too, “puppy yoga” is also fashionable. Interviewed by Le Figaro in August 2023, veterinarian Loïc Dombreval, also president of the National Council for Animal Protection, declared that puppies were “better with their mothers in a garden”.
