A clear example of this change is Rome’s newest airport facility, Dog Relais, a luxury hotel exclusively for canines. Opened in July, it offers underfloor cooling, aromatherapy, private lawns, arnica massages, and even large screens for video calls with absent owners. Run by Roberto Tortorella, the hotel caters to pets of airline crew, business travellers, and holidaymakers. “Our four-legged guests must be able to express themselves freely, socialise, play, and feel loved,” Tortorella said.
This is part of Italy’s booming pet services sector, which has expanded as the country’s birth rate has dropped to record lows. While about 40% of Italian households own a pet — lower than the UK (60%) and the US (66%) — the emotional and financial investment in animals has surged in the past decade. “Dogs or cats have really become treated as a member of the family,” Tortorella noted.
Pet-related businesses now span the full life cycle: dog day-care with pick-up services, specialist veterinary labs, gourmet pet food, and even formal funerals. Italians spent €6.8 billion on pet care in 2022, according to consultancy Nomisma, with many owners now cooking meals for their animals and demanding high-quality ingredients.
In Rome, dogs enjoy freedoms rarely seen elsewhere. They are welcomed into shops, restaurants, and malls — some grocery stores even provide special trolleys for them. Senator Michaela Biancofiore recently set a precedent by bringing her 12-year-old dog, Puggy, to work in the Italian Senate, saying, “A dog sitter won’t give the same attention as her owner.”
Political attitudes are evolving alongside this cultural shift. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has introduced an annual €250,000 “animal bonus” to help elderly pet owners with veterinary bills, while penalties for animal cruelty have been strengthened.
Not everyone welcomes the trend. The late Pope Francis frequently criticised couples prioritising pets over children, warning it “diminishes” humanity. But advocates point to pets’ loyalty and emotional support. Guglielmo Giordano, founder of veterinary lab MyLav, says animals have transformed from mere companions to “centres of affection.”
At neighbourhood parks, this bond is clear: elderly dogs are carried to and from the grass by devoted owners. As one airport worker put it simply — “A dog won’t betray you.”
