When we're talking about animals, we use the noun "paw," rather than "foot" for certain animals, such as dogs, cats, and bears. In Italian, this is la zampa. When used in its diminutive form, it's often figurative and can mean a couple of different things, depending on the surrounding words. 

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In our first example, we can interpret lo zampino to mean "the fingerprint." Imma's figurative fingerprints appear to be all over the hiring of her secretary, since they had been classmates at school.

Secondo me c'è il Suo zampino nell'assunzione della signora Sigillino in procura.

In my opinion, there's your pawprint in the hiring of Mrs. Sigillino in the prosecutor's office.

Captions 9-10, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP6 Dalla parte degli ultimi - Part 17

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Mettere lo zampino is an expression that means "to interfere." To have a hand in something.

The Italian description of a Luca Manara video is as follows:

Le indagini sono ormai cominciate e già c'è il sentore che ci sia lo zampino di qualcuno.

The investigation has begun by now, and there is already the inkling that someone has had a hand in it. 

 

In this next example, we can interpret lasciare lo zampino to mean something like "leaving one's paw [caught] in a trap." Eva is dealing with her son who has gotten caught stealing a CD.

Non è che hai rubato pure te[tu]? -Io? Eh! Magari da giovane... -No, io no... però ho conosciuto un ragazzo che c'ha lasciato lo zampino.

It's not that you robbed as well? -Me? Yeah! Maybe when you were younger... -No, not me... but I knew a boy who left his little paw there (who got caught).

Captions 14-17, La Ladra EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 7

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The traditional saying is: 

Tanto va la gatta al lardo che ci lascia lo zampino (the cat goes so often (or so far) into the lard that she leaves her paw in it).

In other words, "curiosity killed the cat."

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