"Ingenious but Cunning"... Bizarre Dog Training to Avoid Tens of Thousands in Fines

Training pet dog to illegally dump garbage
Italian city authorities identify owner and impose fine
Collection rate at 57%...minimum fine of 2.6 million won if caught

In Italy, a man who trained his dog to illegally dump garbage has been caught by the authorities.

Dog carrying a trash bag caught on closed-circuit (CC)TV. Facebook of the Catania city authorities, Sicily, Italy.

On February 20 (local time), CNN in the United States and other outlets reported that the authorities of Catania, in Sicily, Italy, recently released a video showing a dog walking with a large trash bag in its mouth and then putting it down by the roadside. The city authorities criticized the use of a pet dog for illegal garbage dumping, saying, "Ingenuity cannot be an excuse for rudeness," and, "This behavior is not only cunning but doubly unfair. It dirties the city and attempts to evade the rules by exploiting an unsuspecting four-legged friend. Respect for urban order and the environment is everyone's duty."

The man who trained the dog to illegally dump garbage has been identified and was fined by the authorities.

Foreign media pointed out that this case is a clear example of the increasingly serious problem of illegal garbage dumping across Italy. In southern Italy and the islands, the garbage collection rate remains at around 57%, and trash is sometimes left unattended for several days. Many residents are also reported not to pay garbage collection fees to local governments. According to the environmental organization Legambiente, around 10,000 waste-related crimes such as illegal dumping, burning, and landfilling of garbage occur every year.

As a result, local governments in Italy are stepping up crackdowns on illegal garbage dumping by installing surveillance cameras and smart monitoring systems. In Italy, those caught illegally dumping garbage can be fined between 1,500 euros (about 2.6 million won) and 18,000 euros (about 30.7 million won). In some cases, offenders can even face criminal charges.