South Tyrol is taking action: the province wants to get the dog feces problem under control with a dog DNA register and fines.
Bolzano – A new dog database is intended to deter dog owners in South Tyrol (Italy). Anyone who simply leaves dog poop on the street faces a hefty fine of up to 1,048 euros. However, entering the register is still going slowly.
South Tyrol takes tough action against dog poop – fines of up to 1048 euros are possible
More than 40,000 dogs are registered in the popular holiday region (as of January 22, 2024). So far, however, only 5,000 animals have been recorded in the specially created database suedtirolnews.it. According to the new state law, all dogs should actually be registered in the South Tyrolean DNA dog register by January 1, 2024.
However, the DNA database for dogs is being implemented, emphasizes South Tyrol in one Press release Mid-January. Dog owners in South Tyrol should hurry up. It is said that dog owners should have their animals “regularly genetically recorded” by the end of March.
Dog database in South Tyrol aims to catch perpetrators
The costs for DNA collection, laboratory evaluation and registration amount to 65 euros for dog owners. The dog database can be used to identify owners whose dogs leave piles on the streets and in parks. But the owner of stray dogs can also be identified more easily in the event of accidents, dog bites or tears in livestock and grazing animals.
There are severe penalties for dog fouling in South Tyrol – at least 292 euros
In the event of misconduct, it is sufficient to compare the biological sample with the database. Cleaning up dog poop if you “forget” it is quite expensive for the owner. Hefty fines of 292 to 1048 euros are then possible in South Tyrol. It is initially unclear whether and when the administrative penalty will actually be imposed.
Surveillance cameras against garbage offenders have already had success in the state capital of Bolzano. It remains to be seen whether the new law against dog feces will help.
What happens to holidaymakers' dogs in South Tyrol?
However, the DNA dog database also faces criticism. Veterinarians and dog owners consider the measures to be complex and too expensive. Another problem: dogs belonging to foreign tourists or from the rest of Italy are not recorded in the database. Dog poop on popular hiking trails will probably continue to lie around. Without an entry in the database, the person responsible remains anonymous. Will it stay that way?
In one Spanish holiday stronghold dogs can also be taken by tourists be transferred. If there is no match in the database, the DNA is saved. Because there is no statute of limitations for dog poop there. (ml)
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