Oakland biotech firm asks for donations of pet poop (for science)
OAKLAND - East Bay dog and cat owners might be able to turn their pet's rear ends into mini-ATM machines thanks to a local biotech firm's call for fresh fecal deposits.
AnimalBiome in Oakland is asking people to contribute healthy pet poop to its "stool bank program" and is willing to shell out $100 per month for every fur baby it enrolls.
The six-year-old company "uses carefully screened feces from healthy pets to support ailing cats and dogs suffering from issues related to microbiome imbalances in the gut," according to a news release it sent out Wednesday.
All people have to do to turn their backyards into bumper crops is pick up their pet's poop and sequester it in a cooler that is retrieved by AnimalBiome staff.
In addition to the money, participants will also receive reimbursement for the cost of an annual veterinarian exam, regular monitoring of their animal's gut health, and poop collecting supplies, according to company officials.
AnimalBiome will place the poop in the stool bank, which was established to provide "safe fecal microbiota transplant material" and fresh solids for microbiome research.
The research helps shed light on pet diarrhea, itchy skin, allergies, bad breath and other gut microbiome-associated ailments, according to company officials.
Before pet owners -- who must live between San Leandro and El Cerrito -- can turn the doo-doo into dollars, they need to fill out an application on the company's website at https://animalbiome.com/Donors#start-here.