Doggy DNA Demanded To ID Pesky Poopers

There’s a smelly problem at Harbor Landing in Destin and the folks behind the community’s condominium homeowners’ association want to get to the bottom of it.

To that end, the association recently sent letters to residents asking them to register both their cats and dogs by having their four-legged companions DNA tested. When pet poop is found on the property, those testing results will be used to sniff out which critters, or more aptly their owners, are responsible for leaving the mess behind, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported.

The association is crying foul over an uptick in pet waste was found on the property over the past few weeks. Residents, however, say the idea stinks. One resident told the paper the “invasive, over-reaching” proposal comes from a board that thought it was OK to try and float a smoking ban on residents’ private decks.

The letter indicates the new policy is being instituted whether residents like it or not. Pet owners will be responsible for the costs, but it’s not clear who will have to pick up samples from the grounds.

The notion of DNA testing critters and their poop to track down errant pooches and their people is not entirely new. Business is booming for a North Carolina-based company called Carolina PooPrints whose sole job it is to process cheek swab DNA samples and keep a database of results, 11 Alive reported. When communities that use Carolina PooPrints come across unwanted messes, a sample is taken and mailed to the company’s lab for potential DNA matching.

An apartment complex in Denver recently instituted a program similar to the one pitched in Destin. There residents face a $100 fine for failing to pick up after their pets, KDVR reported.

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Patch file photo