The Tel Aviv city council has approved the development of a DNA database of dogs living in the city to crack down on owners who do not clean up after their pets, the Times of Israel reports.
The paper adds that dog owners will be required to submit genetic samples from their dogs when they receive or renew their dogs' licenses. The Times of Israel adds that Tel Aviv previously increased the fines for leaving dog waste on city streets but says that did not deter violators. Under this new program, unpicked-up dog dropping will undergo DNA testing and fines sent to the offenders, it adds.
Tel Aviv is not the first region to adopt such a measure. In April, the Leitrim County Council in Ireland adopted a similar dog waste DNA testing program and in 2018, Breckinridge, Colorado, announced it would be using DNA testing to identify dogs whose owners did not pick up after them. A condo board in Baltimore and an apartment complex on Long Island have also taken such an approach to tackle unscooped poop.