Robert Ménard, mayor of the French city of Béziers, had enough of all the dog poo lying on the streets.
In order to accommodate dog owners who did not pick up after their dogs, he resorted to what some would describe as extreme measures.
This summer he launched a campaign for all dog owners to submit DNA samples for their pets. That to be able to track the dog poo, and put it there as careless.
To further motivate the residents, he also demanded that all dog owners be able to present a DNA certificate for their dogs.
Risk fines
Dog owners who do not have a certificate risk a fine of 38 euros, and those who neglect to pick up dog poo risk a fine of 122 euros.
After implementing the new dog poo rules, the municipality has evaluated the results, reports Franceinfo.
A total of 80 fines have been issued for dog owners who lacked a DNA certificate, and eight fines have been issued after DNA tracking through dog poo.
And according to the mayor, it is not only a winning concept to avoid seeing dog poo on the streets, but also financially. Since the new rules, dog poo on the streets has halved.
– When we have people who collect dog excrement, we pay them to do it, he says according to Franceinfo.