Home / Crime and Justice / Dog Used to Ditch Trash: Catania Cops Uncover Cunning Scheme
Dog Used to Ditch Trash: Catania Cops Uncover Cunning Scheme
20 Feb
Summary
- Man trained dog to dump rubbish to avoid surveillance cameras.
- Authorities noted the behavior was 'cunning' and 'doubly wrong'.
- Offenders face fines from €1,500 to €18,000 in Italy.
Municipal police in Catania, Sicily, have identified a man who trained his dog to discard rubbish bags along roadsides. This unusual method was an attempt to circumvent surveillance cameras recently installed to deter fly-tipping.
The scheme was revealed via video footage showing a small dog carrying and dropping a trash bag on Via Pulacara. Authorities condemned the behavior as an unacceptable misuse of an animal and a deliberate act of pollution.
This incident occurs amid a significant rise in illegal dumping across Italy, particularly in southern regions. In 2023, over 9,300 waste-related offenses were documented, marking a 66% increase from the previous year.
In response, numerous Italian municipalities are intensifying surveillance efforts. They are deploying advanced camera systems, including wildlife-style traps, to monitor waste disposal sites and recycling points, aiming to curb illegal dumping through evidence-based penalties.
Under Italian law, the unauthorized abandonment of waste can lead to substantial fines, potentially reaching €18,000, and may also involve criminal charges for the offenders.
