Apartment Hires DNA Lab To Tackle Dog Poop Problem
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's become serious business when a dog does its business at a Roseville apartment complex.
Rosedale Estates North was having problems with dog owners not cleaning up after their dogs.
"It was bad," said dog owner, Melody Pomerenke. "I would have to have a separate pair of shoes to go outside. It was not good."
In fact, the poop problem got so bad that property managers hired a company called Bio Pets Vet Lab to start a dog DNA registry.
As part of the lease agreement, DNA swabs are taken from a pet's mouth and sent to the Bio Pets lab, where they keep the DNA on file. Should a pet owner not pick up after their dog, the poop is sent into the lab to be tested for a match -- and the guilty party is identified.
"It's been positive after that initial laughter," said property manager, Cheryl Gallo. "We just started last month."
Pomerenke's Chihuahua Dino was one of the first to submit DNA. He's innocent…for now. Good thing, too, because the fine for the first offense $100.
"You can see someone letting their dog go to the bathroom, and they will still deny it," Gallo said. "This way, there is no denying it. I thought it was a great idea from the beginning."
Rosedale Estates just had their first offense. They have a suspect in mind, and the testing is taking place at Bio Pets Vet Lab.
The second offense is also a $100 fine, and the dog can no longer live in the apartment.
Many renters seem to be OK with the DNA testing, and they say the situation has already gotten better.
