Bolzano City Imposes Fine After Confirming Dog Owner of An Chi-woon’s Gaettong
Controversy Over 65 Euro DNA Test Fee Borne by Dog Owner
A city in Italy is pushing a policy that requires DNA testing for all pet dogs within its jurisdiction to crack down on dog poop.
On the 17th (local time), the British daily The Guardian reported that the authorities of Bolzano, a city in northern Italy, are mandating DNA testing for all pet dogs in the city to identify which dog left the feces found on the streets.
Bolzano is a city located in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy, with a population of about 107,000 as of 2018. Situated at the foot of the Alps, it is a tourist destination popular for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. It is estimated that there are about 45,000 pet dogs in the area.
The cost of DNA testing for pet dogs is 65 euros (approximately 95,000 KRW), which must be borne by the owners. The Bolzano authorities urged residents to complete the DNA testing by December last year, but so far, only about 5,000 residents, or roughly 4.5% of the total population, have complied.
Residents have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the considerable testing fee. There are also criticisms that responsible dog owners suffer unfairly because some people do not pick up their dogs' feces. The authorities plan to impose fines ranging from 292 to 1,048 euros (approximately 420,000 to 1,530,000 KRW) on dog owners identified through DNA analysis as failing to clean up after their dogs.
Besides the testing fee, there are other controversies surrounding this policy. Debates continue over how the authorities will cover the costs of tracking dogs and managing the database (DB), and how they will handle cases where the feces belong to stray dogs or dogs brought by tourists rather than residents' pets.
Madeleine Lorer, a member of the Bolzano regional council, pointed out, "This is not as easy as it sounds," adding, "Local governments and police, already burdened with many tasks, will only face additional expenses." On the other hand, council member Arnold Schuler stated, "Building a pet dog DNA database will also be helpful for other tasks, such as identifying the owners of dogs that died in traffic accidents or dogs that attacked humans." He added, "The database is currently being built, and additional veterinarians capable of conducting DNA tests have been secured."
Meanwhile, Paolo Zambotto, the director of veterinary services in Bolzano, announced that DNA testing for pet dogs will be mandatory starting at the end of March. He encouraged prompt testing, warning that owners who do not register their dogs with the government will face heavy fines.
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