Updated February 8, 2024 19:03 IST
Owners of 40,000 furry pets in Bolzano are being asked to submit their pets’ DNA tests.
A typical image of a dog. | Image: Unsplash
The provincial government in the Italian city of Bolzano has ordered DNA samples from all dogs to be collected in what appears to be a police crackdown on poo in an effort to control the scourge of dog poop on the streets.
Owners of 40,000 furry pets in Bolzano are being asked to submit their pets’ DNA tests. It comes as authorities in a northern Italian state try to find out which owners of their four-legged furry friends aren’t cleaning up after themselves.
Tracking down criminals using DNA swab tests
The culprit who left poop scattered across the city is being traced using DNA swab tests. “Bolzano receives hundreds of complaints a year from citizens about the improper management of public lands. More than half are for dogs,” Paolo Zambotto, director of the veterinary department, was quoted as saying by authorities. “Law enforcement was only able to catch three or four of them because they have to go to the scene and do some kind of stakeout,” the latter said, according to the report.
Those found guilty face fines of between 292 and 1,048 euros ($318 and $1,143). But authorities had little luck, with only 5,000 dogs, or 11%, obeying commands, according to a report in the Guardian. “Easier said than done,” Madeleine Laurere, a local Green Party official, told Italian newspaper Il Giornale. “It would just be an additional expense for local governments and police departments who have a lot of other things to do.” Authorities are trying to genetically test poop, but so far only a few pets have been registered. Only 10,000.