Film Industry: In a Spanish town, if folks fail to scoop their pet’s poop, it is mailed back to them.

You’ve got mail? It could be your dog’s poop!

In a Spanish town, if folks fail to scoop their pet’s poop, it is mailed back to them. Can Mumbai follow this policy to keep the city clean?

The next time the postman comes knocking, it may not be your usual postal fare. The delivery might be a box of
doggie crap! That’s right. If Mumbai follows the footsteps of a Spanish town, your canine’s unattended poop could be mailed right back to you. Implemented to shame the offenders, a law like this might just be one way to keep our city clean.

MODUS OPERANDI In Brunete, Spain, about two dozen volunteers played vigilante on the streets over the course of a week, keeping an eye out for ‘incidents’. They then approached the guilty dog owners incognito and struck up a casual conversation to find out their pet’s name and other details. Once that was done,
volunteers scooped up the crap and packed it in a box with a special insignia and marked it ‘lost property’. The poop was then delivered right back to the owners’ homes. The campaign even won an award at an advertising festival. According to reports, the town, which has 10,000 residents, saw a 70% drop in the amount of dog mess on its streets.

CAN IT WORK FOR MUMBAI? There have been significant efforts by local groups to tackle the issue. Ashish Shah of the Marine Drive Residents Action Group (MDRAG), says, “We have noticed that there is no infrastructure for dogs and other pets, no rules and regulations stipulated by housing societies, which is the need of the hour. We need a good policy in place. People with some civic sense do put their dog’s litter into bins. But a civil law will certainly help. The government should make school students carry placards and educate pet owners.”
Nayana Kathpalia of an NGO that aims to protect the public spaces in Mumbai, says while the ‘poop post’ measure might shame people, one has to find a holistic solution to the problem. “No one should be subjected to poop on roads or footpaths. We have many stray animals in the city. There are stray cattle, horses and dogs. Also, what about the ghodagaadi walas? It’s not just about dog litter haters,” she says.

DNA DETECTION IN POOP? In a residential complex in Texas, a company uses high-tech DNA tracking to nab dog-poop offenders. The company tests the canine faeces and submits it to a pet registry. Another city council introduced a byelaw two years ago whereby pet owners had to register their dog’s DNA so that they could be traced if their excrement was found on the streets.

FUNNY TAKE:
Anchor Cyrus Broacha says: I think mailing the poop back is a good idea, but before this, how about mailing back paan spits and other messes created by human beings, especially upmarket human beings? Start off with them and then move to four-legged creatures. Unfortunately, our city does not have designated parks and areas for dogs and places where they might relieve themselves. If I had to plan the city, I would remove some dirty areas. Of course, I would also remove a few human beings, but that is another story. On this matter, I think the idea of cleanliness must come from dog owners. But it won’t be easy in a country where people are spitting, peeing and throwing litter everywhere. Before attacking dog owners, start with yourself.