Using Dog’s DNA Profiling To Ensure Dog Owners Scoop The Poop
I never thought I’d see the day but today I hear that officials in Petah Tikva, a city in Israel, are using a new method to ensure that ‘poop scoop dodgers’ don’t dodge scooping that poop!
They have actually set up a DNA database of local dogs, so that they can match a dog with its DNA profile. When un-scooped poop is discovered, they can match the mess to the dog and prosecute the owner.
In an interesting move, those dog owners who actually do clean up after their dogs will be rewarded.
The chief vet in the city, Tika Bar-On, told Reuters:
My goal is to get the residents involved and tell them that together, we can make our environment clean.
Apparently, dog owners have welcomed the scheme, which surprised me somewhat, although I have to admit to being frustrated myself by those who fail to clean up after their dogs. After all, when dog owners fail to clean up their dog’s mess, non dog owners blame everybody.
At the moment, the DNA profiling is voluntary hence it probably is not working as well as it would do if it were mandatory. I would imagine only the responsible dog owners are volunteering anyway!
This is currently just a pilot scheme; however, Bar-On did say that plans are already in place to make it compulsory.
Is it possible that this is a scheme the UK should start up? Naturally, a DNA database of all dogs linked to their owners can have enormous implications, most of which are positive, but I daresay there will be some concerns.
