Vienna district asks dog owners to carry water to protect trees
Vienna's Neubau district has started a voluntary campaign asking dog owners to rinse away their dogs' urine with tap water to protect street trees.
The initiative, called Schönes Gassi, rolled out in October 2026, according to The Guardian. It asks owners to carry a small bottle of tap water on walks and pour it over areas where their dogs have urinated.
Its slogan is Das Flascherl zum Sackerl, translated as the bottle to go with the bag. Owners can collect a free 270ml water bottle at the town hall for that purpose. The bottles have been available since 12 October.
The district says the effort is aimed at about 600 dogs whose walks affect local greenery. Neubau has planted about 250 trees over the past decade to help mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
The guidelines say animal urine corrodes tree bark, weakening its protective layer and potentially letting pathogens and fungi penetrate the trunk. The City of Vienna says diluting dog urine with water protects young trees and counters odor nuisance.
The campaign was launched by the community group Grätzllabor in concert with concerned citizens. It is voluntary and could be expanded to other districts. A 26 June district meeting protocol referred to “Das schöne Gassi” as a forthcoming campaign addressing dog urine on city trees and tree pits.
