The French city of Béziers, which is tired of collecting dog poop from its sidewalks is now collecting dog DNA in an effort to get owners to clean up after their dogs, or at least to pay a €122 fine if they don't.
Mayor Robert Ménard told the France Bleu network that dog owners will need to provide their pets with a pass, essentially proof of genetic identification to be allowed to walk the dogs on the downtown streets of Béziers. "I am fed up with all this dog mess. The state has said and done nothing; we need to penalize people so that they behave properly.
Pet owners are being invited to bring their animals in for a saliva sample, or to get one from their own vet. Once the program goes into effect, owners without the document will be fined €38.
Menard says the city has been collecting over a thousand dog droppings a month, and will now begin sending them to a laboratory; police will then be able to match the results to a specific dog and the owner will be fined €122.
Warning signs, like the one below, have already been posted.
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