If officials find waste left behind on the street, they can test it for DNA and search the database to find the owner, who will then be fined. The new law still needs to be approved by Israel's Interior Ministry.  

City official Eytan Schwartz told Euronews Next that out of 40 000 dog owners, only a small number don't pick up their pet's waste. But the city still picks up 500 kilograms of dog waste every month, and he said that 2% of dog owners are ruining the city for other people.

Tel Aviv has a lot of dogs, with about one in every 11 residents owning one. And in 2020, there was an increase in the number of complaints about dog waste being left behind by owners.  The city has tried to fix the problem before. In April 2021, it started a public awareness campaign asking residents to pick up after their pets.  

Tel Aviv isn't the first place to try a DNA database to solve this problem. Most large apartment buildings in Utah already ask people to give their dog's or cat's DNA before renting an apartment. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, some residents have been fined up to $150 for not picking up their pet's waste!