Dog owners in Spain who fail to pick up their dog’s poop are set to get an unwelcome visitor if they are caught; a volunteer with their uncollected waste.
The residents of Brunete, an affluent suburb of Madrid, have taken this drastic step due to the increasing amount of droppings in the area.
According to the New York Times , Borja Gutierrez, the town’s mayor, has gathered a small group of volunteers together, who will bag up the waste, place it in a box, and then send it back to the owner who failed to gather it originally.
Mr Gutierrez stated, “It’s your dog, it’s your dog poop. We are just returning it to you.” Residents have stated that even strangers have become accustomed to living by these rules when they are in Brunete.
The mayor of Madrid sought out Mr Gutierrez at a recent political event, and questioned Gutierrez’s sanity before telling him that not many mayors would think of sending dog poop to voters.
Guiterrez knew how serious the situation was though. Over the last two years, since he was voted into office, he visited around 220 inhabitants in their homes, and the one complaint that was always mentioned was the subject of dog owners and the waste of their pet.
When spring came around this year, Guiterrez looked to combat this growing issue as children were now once again playing in the area.
The dog owners receive their packages in the huge white boxes, only hours after their dogs deed, each of which are blazoned with the seal of the town and have the label “lost and found” on them too.
Guiterrez’s 2 week plan, which took place several months ago, has been a huge success, and around 147 boxes have been delivered so far with the mayor estimating that there has been a 70 percent improvement.