CSI Treatment for Dog Poop

by Jason Li    September 18, 2008

The Israeli city of Petah Tikva has had enough - of dog poop, that is. The Tel Aviv suburb will be using DNA analysis to sieve out pet owners who leave their creature's faeces uncleared in public.

Under the six-month trial, pet owners are asked to have their animals take a cheek swab for DNA collection at their local veterinarian.

With the information, the city will compile a DNA database that matches each pet to the owner. A registered pet owner whose pet droppings are found on the street could be fined.

But civic minded owners may be rewarded too, under the scheme. They would be eligible for prizes such as pet food coupons and dog toys if they dump their dogs' faeces at specially marked bins on the streets. 

Tika Bar-On, Petah Tikva's chief vet who also originated the idea, said: "My goal is to get the residents involved, and tel them that together, we can make our environment clean."

DNA profiling has other benefits too, she added. The information would be useful, including in the studying dog-related diseases and the identification of strays.

Even though dog-owners are currently not forced to submit DNA samples of their pets, Bar-On said that the city might make it compulsory if the trial works.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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