Authorities in the Sicilian municipality of Catania said a man trained a dog to illegally dispose of trash, according to People.
Il Comune di Catania levied the accusation in a Feb. 19 Facebook post, with black-and-white surveillance videos appended.
An automatic translation of the post indicated that the two clips were recorded in Via Pulacara, in the San Giorgio neighborhood.
A BBC report about the dog’s alleged illegal dumping activity noted that the videos were filmed on “two consecutive days.”
As such, authorities in Catania asserted the pattern left “little room for doubt” that someone had used the animal as an unwitting accomplice for their own unlawful activity.
“L’ingegno non può mai diventare un alibi per l’inciviltà,” Il Comune di Catania wrote, which translates to “Ingenuity can never become an alibi for incivility.”
In the post, the municipality described the alleged scheme as “furbo,” meaning “clever” or “cunning,” but castigated the dog’s putative owner for both dirtying Catania and for involving an innocent dog to hide their alleged crimes.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns that illegal dumping, known as “fly tipping” in the United Kingdom, is a “serious problem.”
In addition to being a public nuisance and allowing litter to pervade communities, the practice poses a threat to “public health, safety, property values, and quality of life,” per the EPA.
Improper disposal of trash can be hazardous — as with the growing problem of volatile vape litter — and discarded materials can leach toxins and heavy metals into soil and waterways.
Commenters found it difficult to take the post seriously, though.
“I trained some sparrows not to shake the tablecloth from the balcony. I open the window, they clean the whole tablecloth, and then they fly back happily. Follow me for more household tips,” one joked in Italian.
Others deemed the dog innocent.
“But he’s a poor vagabond. … How can one think of something like that? Who writes these press releases?” one replied.
“But don’t you think it’s a stray that’s looking for food among the trash? … Make a video where you also deal with those strays that it’s the municipality’s job to deal with. Start sanctioning those who abandon [strays] as trash,” another wrote.
According to The Guardian, the man in question was identified and fined, but it provided no further information.
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