Braintree Condo Association Unleashes DNA Testing To Curb Dog Doo
BRAINTREE (CBS) -- The general manager of the Devon Wood condominiums has found a high-tech solution to the ground-level problem of condo dog owners failing to pick up after their pets.
Barbara Kansky said she laughed out loud when she discovered dog doo could be subjected to DNA testing to help stop the flow of canine excrement landing on the condo complex's 350-acre property. "They were driving though it with the mowers. The tires were getting covered," the general manager said. "It was disgusting."
In an effort to hold the perpetrators accountable, the condo association is collecting DNA samples from the cheeks of all dogs living at the Liberty Street property. A third party contractor stores the DNA samples in case dog doo is detected so it can be tested for a possible match to a condo owner's pet.
"Some people thought it was a joke and I told them CSI come to Braintree," Kansky said.
For a $50 charge the condo board now requires all dog owners to have their dogs swabbed for DNA testing and entered into a database. "I was a little upset at first having to pay for it, but I do understand it was a problem," dog owner Jim Burke said.
Kansky said the threat of doggie DNA testing has effectively curbed Devon Wood's sticky problem. Since the testing began, she said there have been only three incidents that have prompted DNA tests.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports
Condo Association Unleashes DNA Testing To Curb Dog Doo
Violators of the condo association's no tolerance poop policy face a $150 fine.
WBZ-TV's Paul Burton contributed to this report.
