Israeli City Fighting a "Severe" Dog Problem

Over the past few days we've seen our share of dog-related problems from different parts of the world. This is one of the most unusual.

From Great Britain's Sky News:

Israeli City is Hoping to Combat Dog Poo

Vets in Petah Tikva will collect doggy DNA from mouth swabs

Residents of the city of Petah Tikva, a suburb of Tel Aviv, have been asked to take their pooch to their local vet, where a DNA sample can be collected.

The city hopes to build a database so faeces can be matched to registered dogs and their masters.

Owners who scoop up their dog's poo and put it in specially marked bins on Petah Tikva's streets will be eligible for rewards - like pet food coupons and dog toys.

But owners who leave their pet's droppings on footpaths could face a fine.

If the voluntary programme takes off, the city will consider making it mandatory for owners to provide DNA samples from their dogs.

Tika Bar-On, the city's chief veterinarian, came up with the plan and said so far, dog owners had reacted positively to the initiative.

"[Residents] are co-operating because they want their neighbourhood to be clean," she said.

She added there was many other applications vets could use the DNA database for - such as research of genetic diseases, investigating canine pedigree and identifying stray animals.