Dog owners in an Italian province are being forced to provide a sample of their pets’ DNA in a battle against dog mess.
Dog owners in an Italian province are being forced to provide a sample of their pets’ DNA in a battle against dog mess
Officials in the provincial government of Bolzano city and surrounding towns in the Dolomites region is setting up a database for the almost 40,000 dogs in the area, veterinary department director Paolo Zambotto said.
He told Sky News: “Bolzano receives a few hundred complaints a year from citizens about improper management of public land. More than half are for dogs.
“Law enforcement could only catch three or four of them because they have to go there and set up some kind of stakeout.”
Mr Zambotto also said other Italian cities had been in touch to potentially replicate the law, which doesn't apply to tourists and non-residents.
Around 10,000 dogs have already been registered as part of the scheme.
Once it is fully up and running it means abandoned poop can be genetically tested and traced back to a dog and its owner fined anywhere between €50 to €500 euros (£42 to £430).
Any owners refusing to comply could be fined between €292 and €1,048.
DNA registration will become compulsory from around late March and owners will be expected to have blood tests for their dogs, in municipal dog shelters or vet clinics, at a cost ranging from €65 to more than €100.
The cost of implementing the tests are planned to be covered by income from the fines.
Bolzano, a mountainous province near Austria, has huge control when it comes to making its rules.