Naples, Italy, has implemented a 鈥攂ut not to learn more about which breeds are most popular in the coastal city. Rather, Naples hopes to rid its sidewalks of dog poop.
The plan is for every dog in the city鈥攁n estimated 80,000鈥攖o be given a blood test, which will ultimately be added to a database of dogs and owners. If a sample collected on the street matches a dog in the database, the owner can face a fine of more than $650.
鈥淚 know some people find it funny that with all the problems the city has we would focus on dog poop. I know that,鈥 Tomasso Sodano, the vice mayor of Naples, told the . But although the program hasn鈥檛 begun testing samples, public behavior is .
Other cities have tried similar initiatives, including , publicly shaming owners, and even offering free Wi-Fi in exchange for plastic bags, according to the Times.