Officials in Béziers, France, are fed up with people who don’t clean up after their dogs. The city says it spends more than $89,000 yearly removing dog excrement from the streets, so Mayor Robert Ménard has decided to do something about it. For at least the next two years, dog owners must carry a genetic passport that contains information obtained from a sample of their pet’s saliva. When dog poop shows up in public spaces, the police will
be able to trace where it came from and send the owner a cleaning bill for up to 122 euros (about $133). Anyone found walking without their dog’s genetic passport will pay a fine of 38 euros (about $42). Some people have criticized the program as government overreach, and others have questioned the cost and accuracy of the DNA tests. But Ménard says the crackdown is necessary to solve the problem, adding that it’s aimed at locals, not visitors. “It’s us, the [people of Béziers], who don’t do the work,” he told a French outlet. “We are the ones who must lead by example.”