McLean Condo's 'Poo Prints' Policy Goes Into Effect May 1

Sign up for the McLean Patch newsletter!

PHOTO: Screenshot from Poo Prints video shows gathering of “evidence.”

_____________

Ever find yourself walking in your neighborhood only to find out that someone hasn’t picked up after their pooch? There’s not much you can do about it, beyond spying on your neighbors’ dog-walking habits or watching where you step.

So beyond catching the culprits skipping their civic duty, what are you going to do? A condominium in McLean thinks it has the answer.

The Rotunda, located at 8352 Greensboro Dr., is laying down the law when it comes to pet waste on its 34 acres of manicured grounds and anywhere else. (In its latest newsletter to residents, management helpfully explains that an average dog generates 276 pounds of waste a year.)

This is the same condo that tried to institute a policy last summer of no flags on balconies; that policy was successfully challenged by residents including a U.S. Marine.

For its latest policy proposal, the condo explains that they will require all dogs to be registered and DNA taken with a swab to the inside of the mouth; any “problems” found around the grounds will be sent to a lab for identification to find a match and punish the offender. Here’s more from the Rotunda newsletter:

“Beginning May 1, when Rotunda staff finds excreta, inside or outside, a sample will be removed and sent to the DNA contractor for identification. Once positive identification of the responsible dog is made, the owner of that dog will be charged the then current DNA Identification Fee (currently $90), plus a $10 mark-up for processing, as well as the costs of cleaning up the excreta (typically $50-$500 depending where the waste is left).

According to the homeowners’ newsletter, waste left around and not picked up is not only disgusting “...it can be unsafe to other pets, children and the environment.”

And you can actually be fined by the county, but reportedly, that never happens. Here’s the scoop on poop, straight from Fairfax County:

“Pet owners who violate the County’s pooper scooper law may incur a fine up to $250. Unfortunately, since 1999 not one summons was issued for such violations. That means the only deterrents to leaving pet waste on the ground may be our individual conscience and societal mores.

Pet waste left on the grass or in the woods makes its way to storm drains every time it rains. Storm drains lead to lakes or streams that ultimately lead to the Occoquan Reservoir and the Potomac Rivers, our drinking water supply. Pet waste may carry disease-causing organisms, which make water unsafe for swimming and more costly to treat for drinking.

Dog waste on the ground is ugly and messy. It pollutes our environment even if it is hidden in the bushes, under leaves or in the woods.

Please pick up after your pets. Our health may depend on it.”

What’s your take? Do you agree with this new policy at The Rotunda or do you think the “poo police” are overreacting?