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Malaga uses DNA profiling to crack down on dog poo
Pet owners in the Andalucia province have to register their dog’s DNA or face a fine
Malaga is redoubling its fight against dog owners who refuse to pick up their pet’s poop by insisting that all canines must be registered and have their DNA profile recorded. Failure to adhere to the new law can result in a fine of up to 500 euros.
In February, the City Council sent letters to pet owners reminding them of the need to register their dogs in the DNA census and this month they have followed up with a mass SMS campaign. The latest barrage of messages was aimed at people whose pets were registered in the Andalusian Registry of Animal Identification (RAIA), but were missing a genetic profile.
"We started doing this in July after crossing the two databases; in the message we remind you that you have 30 days to genetically identify the dog or you will be sanctioned," explained the general director of Environmental Sustainability, Luis Medina, and the process was repeated in August and September. As a result of the first round, around 150 people complied with the law, “while the rest will receive a financial penalty."
Malaga’s battle against dog faeces in public places is two-fold. On the one hand, the task of catching careless owners in the act falls to the Local Police. On the other is the CSI-like tool that allows technicians take a sample of the poop and cross-reference it with the registered DNA.
Since 2018, the City Council has positively identified the faeces of 131 dogs and fined their owners for not picking up after their pet. And while this might seem like a pretty low figure, the company currently only analyses around 350 samples a year, usually at the request of neighbourhood groups rather than the police.
In other news: Spain doles out first fine for leaving a dog outside a shop
Image: Archive
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