Who let the dogs out? The role of dog keeping in shaping public spaces in post-communist Budapest

Keywords: dog keeping, public space, Budapest
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 09:40 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 11:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 2

Abstract

In 1988, dog tax, which had been significantly higher for dogs kept only for hobby purposes, was abolished in Hungary. One year later, the fall of the communist regime facilitated the spreading of Western consumption patterns such as dog keeping culture. Consequently, urban dog keeping gained a new impetus.
Urban dog keeping, especially if irresponsible, causes inconveniences as a side effect, including dog waste, dog attacks, barking and conflicts over public space use. These result in increasing social tensions, mainly in Budapest, which is the largest urban center of the country with 1.7 million inhabitants. For a long time, local authorities sought to alleviate these tensions by separating public space users with and without dogs. However, municipalities with financial difficulties often lacked the capacity to maintain appropriate spaces for dogs, which were undersized or overburdened. In the meantime, the number of trained dogs has increased, and so did the need for expanding and improving urban public spaces that can be used with dogs off leash.
In my paper, I investigate how dog keepers have tried to shape public spaces in post-communist Budapest, and how successful they have been in doing so. I will present the results of literature and quantitative data analysis, including the evaluation of policy documents, as well as qualitative fieldwork and interviews with people involved in the field. Conclusions can be relevant for policy makers in other countries too, in addressing needs and conflicts related to urban dog keeping.