Man in Sicily trained his dog to illegally dump rubbish, say police | Italy
A man in Catania, Sicily, trained his dog to throw garbage bags on the side of the road to evade cameras installed by local authorities to combat fly-tipping, municipal police said.
The episode was detailed in a post on Facebook. Official page of the city of Catania. The video of the dog was accompanied by the police’s statement that “Creativity can never be an excuse for incivility.”
Surveillance footage shows a small dog running along Via Pulacara in Catania’s San Giorgio district with a garbage bag in its mouth, then neatly dumping it on the side of the road.
“The environmental unit of the Catania municipal police has published two videos recorded by security cameras showing a dog leaving a bag of waste on the street,” a statement posted on its Facebook page said. Authorities said the scene left little room for doubt: The animal had been trained to avoid filming its owner illegally dumping garbage.
The report added that the behavior was “doubly wrong” as well as cunning, polluting the city while trying to skirt the rules by unknowingly abusing a pet. “Respect for urban ethics and the environment is a duty for everyone.”
The man was reportedly identified and fined.
Illegal garbage disposal Big problem in ItalyIt causes significant environmental and economic costs, especially in the south. More than 9,300 waste-related crimes in 2023 recorded – 66% increase compared to the previous year.
In response, a growing number of Italian municipalities are installing surveillance cameras, wildlife-style “camera traps” and smart monitoring systems to prevent fly-tipping and misuse of recycling points. The strategy, often linked to efforts to increase waste collection and urban cleanliness, relies on video evidence to impose harsh penalties.
in PalermoHundreds of new cameras and camera traps have been installed in all parts of the city. Officials say 93% of penalties Illegal dumping due to camera footage evidence.
Under Italian law, unauthorized abandonment of waste, including household garbage bags, may attract fines ranging from: €1,500 to €18,000with the possibility of criminal charges.
