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Village in Switzerland says law allows it to kill dogs whose owners don’t pay pet tax

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A Swiss village has found a drastic way to compel dog holders to pay their pet’s annual tax: cough up, or the dog gets it.

Reconvilier -- population 2,245 humans, 280 dogs -- plans to put Fido on notice if its owner doesn’t pay the annual $50 tax.

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Local official Pierre-Alain Nemitz says the move is part of an effort to reclaim hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes.

He says a law from 1904 allows the village to kill a dog if its owner does not pay the canine charge.

Nemitz told the Associated Press on Monday that authorities have received death threats since news of the plan got out.

‘This isn’t about a mass execution of dogs,’ Nemitz said. ‘It’s meant to put pressure on people who don’t cooperate.’

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-- Associated Press

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