Dog owners beware, your city may be next. The tenants of an apartment complex in Baltimore have had it with dog owners not picking up their dogs waste.
Pet DNA Calls Out Poop-Scoop Offenders
as posted in the Discovery News articl May 19, 2010
Analysis by Kasey-Dee Gardner: As a dog lover, owner and advocate, I can let a lot slide when it comes to dogs behaving badly. But badly behaving owners: they’re another story. One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when dog owners don’t clean up after their pets. Seriously, how hard is it to carry a plastic baggie on poochie’s daily walk, and to use it? Picking up after your dog shouldn’t be an option, it should be a responsibility.
A high-end condo complex in Baltimore is considering mandating saliva DNA samples of all current canine residents. Dog owners at Scarlett Place would have to pay $50 to cover the DNA test and supplies, plus a $10 monthly maintenance fee. Every time an uncleaned poop pops up on property grounds, the complex will test it to determine which dog made the mess.
Both feces and saliva can determine dog DNA, so the condo can find the dog's guilty owner from the DNA* samples on file, who then will be slapped with a $500 fee. My guess is it will be the same offenders over and over again.
The condo is considering working with BioPet Vet lab, a Tennessee-based company that offers this very service -- called Poo Prints -- which deals specifically with pet droppings. The testing hasn’t been approved yet, but the idea of it is causing a lot of controversy. Is this too Big Brother? Or is such babysitting necessary to eliminate poop piles in the park?
Dog waste is dangerous for many reasons, but here are my four top reasons why I think you should make a poopin’ scoopin’ effort.
#1. Poop attracts rats.
#2. When dog waste isn’t cleaned up and has time to fester on the ground, worms -– like whipworm, heartworm, roundworm and tapeworm –- make their way into the soil and linger there, waiting to infect humans or animals that happen to step in it.
#3. Pet poop can be easily washed into stormdrains, lakes and streams, which pollutes the water supply.
#4. And lastly, poop is nasty to step in and it can ruin your shoes ... or bare feet.
What are your thoughts on this DNA testing issue? Has dog DNA testing gone too far? Or is it the right method to keep your paths poop free? My personal opinion: just clean up your pet’s poo.
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