Japanese City Launches Dog Poop App To Tackle Growing Problem
In order to help alleviate a serious problem of dog fouling in the city of Izumisano, authorities have released an app that allows the public to report any instances of dog poop that have not been cleaned up by pet owners. The app also allows users to upload a picture along with GPS co-ordinates so that city officials know where problem areas are.
However, the environment and sanitation department is not using information from the app to clean up the mess but rather map the locations where the problem is most frequent. Instead, they believe it will help them send patrols to the best areas to catch people who don’t clean up after their dogs. “We don’t go and collect it right away when there’s a post,” said a spokesperson.
The move comes after several failed initiatives in the last few years. The city has already introduced a large number of patrols as well as a tax on dog owners and heavy fines for anyone caught failing to properly discard of dog mess. These measures have done little to solve the issue and authorities hope the new app will mark an improvement in the situation.
