Court stops town's dog-dirt DNA plan

A COURT has stopped the mayor of Béziers from using DNA technology to crack down on dog fouling in the Hérault town.
Robert Ménard had planned to list the DNA of pet dogs in the town on a register so that they can be traced if they foul the streets, even if the animals were not caught in the act. The owners would then face a fine.
But, the administrative court in Montpellier ruled that the new bylaw was 'not intended to keep the public safe nor to prevent offence, but was purely repressive'.
The registration process for dogs living in homes within an area in the centre of the historic town started in June and was due to be completed by the end of September, according to the order.
But the court suspended the bylaw pending its ruling on the 'merits of the case'.
Mr Ménard - who was elected in 2014 with the support of the Front National - has announced that he will appeal against the court's decision.