Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
These images snapped by a British man in Spain during the lockdown show a Spanish man trying to flaunt the rule to stay home by taking his pet bird for a ‘walk’.
The pictures were taken by Brit Idris Croft, 33, in the Chamberi area of the Spanish capital Madrid in the midst of the country’s nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.
In the images, a man be seen with his pet bird in his hands as he walks down the empty street.
Speaking exclusively to Newsflash, Croft, who has lived in Madrid seven years, said: “I did a double-take. At first I thought maybe he was escorting it to or from his car, but then it became clear that no, he’s taking it for a walk.”
When asked if the man was stopped by the police, who have been preventing citizens from going for walks unless they are with a pet or on their way for urgent supplies, Croft said: “Not while I was there. Although he was walking in the middle of the road. I don’t think it would have been long before they did.”
Spanish residents can only leave their home for work or to visit the supermarket, pharmacy, bank or medical centre. Locals can also leave their house to attend elderly loved ones or those dependent on others.
Pet owners are also allowed to leave their homes to walk their pets, but only one person at a time.
Croft, originally from Dorset, said that he had been walking his own dog, a French bulldog named Cleopatra, when he spotted the bizarre scene.
The images come after another eagle-eyed netizen spotted a man in the city of Palencia in the central Spanish region of Castile and Leon taking a toy dog out for a walk to circumvent the lockdown.
As the video shows, one cooped-up resident apparently decided to ignore the strict measures to go for a leisurely stroll under the guise that he was walking a dog.
However, he was spotted by patrolling cops walking a toy dog and now faces a fine, according to local media.
The police shared the video on social media with the message: “We are facing a very serious situation and now is not the time to go for a walk and try to trick the police.
“You will not be able to cheat us and you will be sanctioned if you try.
“It is a matter of public health, this virus needs to be stopped by all of us together.”
Archive Story: Cops Catch Man Walking Toy Dog During Virus Lockdown
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