Edith HejbergOfficials said the dog was used to avoid proper waste disposal procedures.
Some people will go to surprising lengths to dodge garbage fees. In Sicily, one man allegedly trained his dog to handle the job for him.
Authorities near Catania released footage showing the animal carrying a bag of trash in its mouth. The dog calmly walks to a roadside spot and drops the bag at what officials describe as a rogue dump.
The unusual case has sparked outrage and disbelief across Italy.
The video that revealed everything
The footage, made public by the Catania municipality on Thursday, shows the dog gripping a large trash bag with its teeth.
It pads down the street and carefully leaves the bag by the roadside. The act appears deliberate rather than random.
Surveillance cameras recorded the scene, giving police the evidence they needed.
A social media warning
Local authorities shared the clips online along with a blunt message.
“Inventiveness… can never be an alibi for incivility,” the local authority said in a post on Facebook.
The post quickly drew attention, as viewers reacted to the strange attempt to bypass the rules.
Police describe a calculated move
Officials said the dog was used to avoid proper waste disposal procedures.
“The environmental unit of Catania’s municipal police has released two videos recorded by surveillance cameras in which a dog is seen depositing a bag of waste in the street,” the post read.
Police made clear that the act was not accidental but part of a deliberate pattern.
Doubly unfair, authorities say
City officials stressed that the behavior harmed both the community and the animal involved.
“This behavior is both cunning and doubly unfair, because in addition to littering the city, it attempts to evade the rules by exploiting the unwitting four-legged friend. Respect for urban decorum and the environment is everyone’s duty.”
The statement framed the case as a matter of civic respect.
The owner tracked down
Using the surveillance footage, municipal police were able to identify the man responsible.
He has since been fined, according to the city’s statement.
Authorities hope the public example will discourage copycat behavior.
A symptom of a larger issue
While the case may seem unusual, it reflects a wider challenge across Italy.
Illegal dumping has become a persistent problem in many regions, especially in the south and on the islands.
Local officials say enforcement has grown tougher in response.
Low collection rates in the south
In some southern provinces and island communities, garbage collection rates can be as low as 57%.
That means trash may sit in dumpsters and bins for days before it is removed.
Such delays can fuel frustration and, in some cases, illegal dumping.
Tax evasion adds pressure
Authorities say Rome has the highest rate of garbage tax evasion in Italy, followed by Naples.
When residents avoid paying waste fees, public services struggle to function effectively.
The financial shortfall can worsen existing waste management problems.
A north-south divide
By contrast, northern regions report much higher collection rates.
Evasion levels there are considerably lower, according to the Guardia di Finanza, Italy’s financial police.
The regional gap highlights long-standing differences in infrastructure and compliance.
Thousands of environmental offenses
Illegal dumping is not rare. Nearly 10,000 waste-related offenses are recorded each year, according to the environmental group Legambiente.
These violations include dumping, burning and burying trash.
The figures show how widespread the issue has become.
Surveillance on the rise
To tackle the problem, many municipalities have installed camera traps in known dumping hotspots.
These devices help authorities monitor activity and identify offenders.
The Catania case is a clear example of how such technology can pay off.
Steep fines and criminal risks
Penalties for illegal dumping in Italy range from €1,500 ($1,770) to €18,000 ($21,200). In some cases, offenders may also face criminal charges.
Illegal waste disposal is often linked to organized crime groups known as the “eco-mafia.”
What may look like a bizarre one-off incident in Sicily sits within a far more serious national problem.
