Italy’s poo crackdown: Here's why owners are rejecting mandate to register their dogs' DNA profile

In the streets of the Italian town of Bolzano exists a peculiar menace which has now forced the authorities to take drastic measures. The unwelcome smell of dog poo has prompted the authorities to mandate DNA tests for all canines, requiring owners of an estimated 45,000 dogs to get them registered in a database managed by authorities. In the so-called ‘poo crackdown,’ police will refer to the database to nab the offenders who shy away from cleaning their pet’s poo, with also imposing fines close to $1,000.

The law required the residents of the mountainous Trentino-Alto Adige region to undertake a DNA test for their pets by the end of December 2023. However, only 5,000 owners have complied. Now, the authorities have strictly asked for compliance in the matter by the end of March. Owners who fail to register will have to face hefty fines, according to Paolo Zambotto, director of Bolzano’s veterinary department.

Dog owners voice anger

The law has been met with concerns by dog owners, especially from those who sincerely clean up their petpoo but will have to pay a €65 fee for the test. Some doubt the efficiency of the initiative regarding its cost and management and whether it will take into account the menace coming from stray dogs and dogs owned by tourists.

“It is easier said than done,” Madeleine Rohrer, from the local Greens party, told the newspaper Il Giornale. “It will only be an additional expense for the municipality and for the police, who have many other things to do.”

Animal rights groups oppose the idea

Apart from dog owners, animal rights groups have also opposed the idea, calling it an ‘unjust law.’ Earlier, they had filed a petition to scrap the law before December 31. “The most interesting thing is that many people who don’t have dogs signed the petition,” Filippo Maturi, president of Assopets, an association for the protection of animal owners, was quoted as saying by a local news outlet.

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“It is an unjust law which does not solve the problem and which, above all, has enormous management costs,” Maturi added.

(With inputs from agencies)