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PARIS

Paris suburb to use CCTV to fight dog poo ‘plague’

Authorities in a Paris suburb are leading the way in the battle against dog poo on the capital's streets by using a new weapon to punish owners who don’t clean up dog mess. For the first time video surveillance will be used to snoop on pooping pooches.

Published: 19 August 2013 12:16 CEST
Paris suburb to use CCTV to fight dog poo 'plague'
Video surveillance cameras to be used to tackle 'plague' of dog poo in a Paris suburb. Photos: Mike Fleming/Jon Worth

Local authorities in the suburb of Montereau-Fault-Yvonne have come up with a new way to fight the "plague" of dog poo, the long time scourge of  the city's streets.

For the first time in France the growing legion of close-circuit television cameras will be put to use to crack down on dog owners who don't clean up after their mutts.

Deputy Mayor Yves Jégo told Le Parisien on Monday that “between 10 and 20 dog owners dirty the town. It’s a plague, the locals are always complaining to me about it.”

He estimates that the problem costs the town €200,000 a year in cleaning costs.

Clarifying the reasons for such extreme measures Jégo said, “We have already invested in a poster campaign and the distribution of rubbish bags to prevent the problem. It hasn't worked.

"There are still children stepping in it on the way to school. I hope that giving out fines will prompt dog owners to take responsibility.”

Dog owners caught on camera will first receive a warning, but if they become a repeat offender, they could find themselves paying a fine of €35.

Over the last 10 years the suburb, which has a population of 17,000, has seen the installation of 60 security cameras in the streets.

“They have reduced crime. I would never have installed them just for dog excrement. I use the technology to ensure a clean town. We can’t have street cleaners cleaning the streets all the time.”

Conversely, local police will have to be watching the cameras 24/7 to ensure they catch the doggy delinquents. Authorities will also take advantage of the round the clock surveillance to catch out locals parking on pavements or driving the wrong way down one way streets.

Local restaurant owner Nahim is against the new measure. 

“I don’t support all these cameras, I get the impression that everything we do is being watched," he told Le Parisien.

It remains to be seen whether other local authorities in Paris will follow suit.

Earlier this year the mayor of the French capital launched a  new poster campaign to urge dog owners to be more responsible. 

Bertrand Delanoë also increased the fines for dog owners from €35 to €68 in a bid to stamp out the problem.

by Naomi Firsht

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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