City uses DNA to fight dog poop

Wow, it’s not even an Onion article, nor is this April 1st. From Reuters: City uses DNA to fight dog poop. (Are they serious? Really?)

An Israeli city is using DNA analysis of dog droppings to reward and punish pet owners.

Under a six-month trial programme launched this week, the city of Petah Tikva, a suburb of Tel Aviv, is asking dog owners to take their animal to a municipal veterinarian, who then swabs its mouth and collects DNA.

The city will use the DNA database it is building to match faeces to a registered dog and identify its owner. [continue]

Sheesh. I’d rather deal with dog poop than Orwellian nonsense. But no matter, because isn’t this a great way to get back at those neighbours one doesn’t like? All one has to do is to steal a little dog poop from the the neighbours’ garbage, and leave that poop in front of the police station. Done!

But of course nobody would ever do that, so the DNA poop-analyis program is foolproof.

(Link found here at Scribal Terror.)