Starting this month, dog owners in the French city of Béziers will face a new restriction – they will have to carry a “dog passport” when walking around certain central parts of the city.
dog passport Washington Post Said, there is a document that proves that the dog’s DNA is registered with the local government.
But why is a dog passport needed?
The mayor of Béziers, Robert Maynard, decided to implement this measure when he realized that dog feces was ruining the historic city center.
If dog faeces are found anywhere in the city, the administration will be authorized to investigate which dog is guilty of negligent defecation.
After that the owner will have to pay for the cleaning.
Maynard reported, “I can’t take it anymore.” Washington PostHe further said that people not following their dogs is a sign of a lack of civility in France.
He said that if the authorities do not enforce the rules, then there will be no incentive for the people to act in the public interest.
In addition to being unsightly and foul-smelling, dog feces left on the streets also pose a threat to public health because they contain microorganisms that can spread to other animals and people, sometimes causing disease.
However, there will be a two-month grace period in which dog owners will be informed of the new policy.
A person who leaves his dog’s faeces will receive a bill of 122 euros ($136) for the city’s cleaning service.
People who do not get their dog’s genetic passport made will be fined 38 euros ($43).
Authorities hope the threat of fines will help sweepers reduce the time and money they spend picking up dog feces on the streets — which they did 25,607 times in 2020, 39,847 times in 2021 and 21,313 times by November 30, 2022, according to the decree. Washington Post The report states that every year, the city spends 80,000 euros ($89,495) on picking up dog feces.
As surprising as the measure may sound, Maynard is not alone in resorting to extreme measures to deal with this particular problem.
His administration says similar measures by homeowners’ groups in other cities, including Tel Aviv in Israel and Valencia in Spain, have helped ease the problem.
In fact, some people have even tried to remove feces from their streets by sending feces back to dog owners and hiring private detectives to identify offenders and their dogs.
