A database for dog poo: local authority considers DNA swabbing to crack down on dog fouling
A councillor is calling to set up a database of dog poo to identify dogs from their faeces, and crack down on owners who don’t follow littering laws.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLR) are the latest local authority in Ireland to discuss such a database with two new motions discussed at at a meeting this week asking for a DNA swab to be introduced in addition to the legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped.
Over the last five years, the council only issued four prosecutions for dog fouling, despite a growing number of complaints recorded by councillors in the area.
“The solution for dog fouling lies under our noses – my proposal is to combine the existing mandatory microchipping of dogs with DNA swab tests for evidence-based prosecution of dog fouling,” said Social Democrats councillor John Hurley.
“From letters we receive as councillors, we can see that people care a lot about this. It’s a prosecutable offence under the litter and pollution act but it requires eye witness testimony in courts to prosecute, so enforcing this is a big challenge.”
In his motion, the councillor called for a national database of canine DNA – asking for the council to write to the Minister for Agriculture to extend the current system for microchipping to include swabs.
“It’s an issue of public health – children pick it up, people on wheelchairs find it under their wheels, visually impaired have them under their shoes and walking sticks – it’s a source of environmental pollution with sacks hanging in bushes and even bathing water gets polluted,” said cllr Hurley.
Fine Gael councillor Pierce Dargan introduced a similar motion calling for the council to introduce a system modelled after other EU countries.
“We can borrow from the local government in Spain that have dog DNA database schemes where street cleaners will recognise dog foul on the streets and send them for analysis, then owner will be fined,” said cllr Dargan.
The councillors added that a database could also help deter people from illegally breeding dogs and running puppy farms, and that it could help protect sheep in farms from being attacked.
DLR council said in a report that Leitrim County Council carried out a successful pilot programme to gather dog DNA on a small number of dogs.
“The pilot programme was successful in proving the concept of identifying a dog from dog fouling – the approximate cost of sampling each dog was €100,” said the council’s report.
“As dog foulers may visit the county outside the DLR administrative area, a national DNA database is required more than a DLR database – to facilitate a national scheme and to compel owners to comply, amending the current legislation and funding the database is necessary.”
A similar idea was also floated by Wicklow County Coucnil last year where only two fines were issued for dog fouling between 2023 and 2024.