Eastern Costa del Sol town introduces DNA checks to catch owners who fail to pick up dog poo

Zoom

Rincón de la Victoria councillor, Lola Ramos, reminded residents that all dog owners are obliged to register their pets in the municipal DNA census, in accordance with the current bylaw as well as to collect faeces and dilute urine on public roads

SUR

Thursday, 15 January 2026, 17:08

Rincón de la Victoria town hall has started to collect DNA from dog excrement in an effort to clean the town's streets and identify owners who do not clean up after their pets.

The councillor for health and consumer affairs, Lola Ramos, said: "Since this action was launched, there has been a noticeable improvement in street cleanliness and a reduction in dog excrement, especially in the busiest areas of the municipality."

Ramos added that "these campaigns, in addition to promoting responsible pet ownership and protecting public spaces, contribute to improving the image of the municipality and strengthening community harmony".

The councillor went on to say, "The data shows that the canine DNA system works and that public awareness is increasing. Our goal is to continue moving towards a cleaner, more civic-minded and environmentally-friendly municipality."

The canine DNA identification system is based on a fully guaranteed and reliable procedure. Faecal samples are always collected in the presence of a public official and include geolocation, photographic documentation, sealing of the sample and maintenance of a controlled chain of custody throughout the shipping and analysis process.

According to a statement from Rincón de la Victoria town hall, which is on the eastern Costa del Sol, the samples collected are then compared with the genetic profiles of dogs previously registered in the municipal database, allowing for the matching and unequivocal identification of the animal, with complete legal and technical certainty.

The company responsible for the analysis, ADN Canino, has a quality system certified in accordance with the UNE-EN ISO 9001:2015 and UNE-EN ISO 14001:2015 standards, guaranteeing both the excellence of its processes and its commitment to environmental management.

The councillor reminded residents that all dog owners living in Rincón de la Victoria are obliged to register their pets in the municipal DNA census, in accordance with the current bylaw as well as to collect faeces and dilute urine on public roads.