The North Italian Province of Bolzano has ordered DNA testing for all dogs in a bid to discover their owners and impose a punishment on them if they fail to clean up their pet’s feces amid a crackdown on the plague of dog litter on the streets.
A dog DNA registration database will be set up so that street cleaners and health officials in Bolzano can collect poop to be sent for genetic testing.
Owners of dogs traced from the DNA will face fines of 50 to 500 euros (£43 to £430).
Any owner who denies DNA profiling for their dog will risk fines of up to €1,048.
The provincial authority overseeing Bolzano and adjacent cities in the scenic Dolomites region is building a database for the area’s nearly 40,000 canines, according to veterinary department chief Paolo Zambotto. Approximately 10,000 have already registered.
Dog owners will be expected to have blood tests done on their canines at municipal dog shelters or vet clinics, which will cost between 60 and 100 euros ($71 and $109).
The policy has also garnered some criticism, with the main concern being how this complex and costly program would be executed and handled.
Many people have wondered what would happen if the perpetrators were stray animals or were owned by visitors.
While others felt it was an extra expense for the town and the police, who might use these resources elsewhere.
