TA dog owners must register their DNA

Dog owners in Tel Aviv will now have to provide DNA samples for their dogs upon receiving or renewing their dog ownership licenses, in an effort to fight against the issue of dog feces in the street not being picked up by owners. On Monday night, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa City Council approved an amendment to the municipal bylaw, making it compulsory for dog owners to register their pets to a DNA database.

This will then allow municipal inspectors to collect samples from dog feces left uncollected in the streets, and a fine will be sent by mail to the owner who did not clean up. According to the bylaw, they will also be charged for the sampling and testing expenses. The law has been submitted to the Interior Ministry for examination, and is awaiting approval. The municipality calculated that an estimated 500 kg. of dog feces are not picked up from the street every month, and hopes that it will work to decrease the amount.