French City to Track Negligent Dog Owners with DNA Test

The South French city of Béziers has had enough of dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets. To resolve this issue, the city plans to implement DNA testing to identify the culprits. Dog owners in the city center will be required to have a genetic passport for their pets. With this, any dog feces left on the sidewalks can be analyzed, and the guilty owner can be identified.

After a grace period of three months, anyone found walking their dog without being able to present a genetic passport will be fined 38 euros. In addition, there's a 122 euro fine for not picking up dog feces. "I can't stand all this poop anymore," Mayor Robert Ménard told France Info, expressing his frustration. "Apparently, you have to impose sanctions to make people behave decently."

Dog owners in Béziers have the opportunity to get their dog's saliva tested for free, which is necessary for the genetic passport. According to the mayor, this can also be done at the vet's office.