Dog poop DNA tests aim to track down owners who don’t scoop

We’ve all been there: enjoying a nice leisurely stroll in your local park when suddenly you have dog poo in the soles of your shoes.

Up until this point, the only thing you could do was curse out the owner and hope they start picking up after their pet.

Shady Lane Apartments in Harrisville, Utah, have started using the services of Florida-based company Mr. Dog Poop in order to DNA test the piles left behind, reports KVAL.

Apartment manager Jacoba Ewing prides herself in the vast green space around the complex and needed to take action after many tenants expressed concern over the amount of dog poop in the area.

“Brand new tenants were saying, I just moved in and now there is a pile of dog poop by my door,” Ewing told KVAL.

She met with every single dog owner in the complex and took DNA samples from each, charging the owners a $25 fee. The sample was then sent to the lab to be cataloged in a database.

If a stool sample tests positive for a dog of one of the owners in the complex, that owner is required to pay $50 for the DNA test and $50 for the clean up.

The second time, they get a warning as well. On the third strike, the owner is asked to move out.

“It may be strict, but I just don’t think it’s that difficult to carry a bag around with your dog and clean it up,” Ewing told KVAL.

Recent droppings found outside the complex tested negative, meaning it was an outside dog and not one of the residents.

Since starting the entire process, zero positive tests have been found. It’s good news for Ewing, as the amount of poop left behind has dropped significantly.