One of the most unglamorous parts of dog ownership is dutifully picking up one’s dog poop, but it must be done. Unfortunately, it’s a responsibility many dog owners neglect.
The senior management officials for an apartment complex in Kapolei, Hawaii, have had enough of this neglectful behavior and have opted to resort to tougher measures. KHON2 News reports that residents in Palehua Nani Apartments will now have to register their dog’s DNA with the resident manager come 2024.
The goal? To hold irresponsible dog-owning residents accountable for failing to clean up after their canines.
According to the apartments’ board of directors (BOD), many residents in their building often leave behind their dogs’ poop. In doing so, these residents create an unsightly and unhygienic mess within the apartment complex.
For this reason, the directors have turned to DNA testing to catch the ‘poo-petrators.’
How this DNA testing technique works
By Feb. 3, 2024, the apartment’s BOD expects all dog-owning residents to have had their dog’s cheek swabs collected and registered by the resident manager.
In a letter addressed to all residents, the BOD shared, “The Association will soon receive the initial DNA test kits for the dog registration.” According to the letter, those who won’t adhere to the registration deadline will face a $100 fine or more.
All dog DNA samples will be submitted to PooPrints Hawai’i, a company specializing in canine DNA waste management.
PooPrints Hawai’i will test the samples and generate the DNA profile of each animal. Then, they’ll create a database listing all the dogs in Palehua Nani Apartments alongside their respective DNA profile.
Just like cheek swabs, dog poop also contains DNA. So, if a resident ignores their dog’s droppings, PooPrints staff will carry a sample of the waste for DNA testing. They’ll then match the poop’s DNA to a dog on their database with the same DNA profile (as the poop).
That way, they will know the dog who excreted the waste. Most importantly, they’ll be able to identify the owner who failed to clean up after their canine.
To simplify exactly what they do, PooPrints Hawai’i explains they “create a genetic database of dogs with DNA collected from cheek swabs.” They add, “We then collect DNA from any unscooped pet waste and compare it to the database to identify who hasn’t picked up after their pet.”
