A US-based company has offered a unique solution to Collaroy Rugby Club’s ongoing problem of dog poo on their playing field - testing the droppings to catch the offending dogs’ owners. Today the club pleaded with dog owners to take more responsibility and keep their pets off Griffith Park after growing tired of having to clean up the mess before every game and training session.
Following the story, Tom Boyd from BioPet Vet Lab, in Knoxville, Tennessee, contacted The Manly Daily. His solution - dog poo DNA. Under the system, a council like Warringah could build a DNA database of all registered dogs in the area. This is done in the form of a swab upon registration.
Should a council ranger come across droppings left on footpaths and parks, Mr Boyd said they could test the droppings using a commercially available Poo Prints kit to identify the pooch and fine the owners. Are these measures needed or is it going too far? Tell us what you think below
“The problem of pet owners not picking up after their pets is tearing apart communities,” Mr Boyd said. “We used our research in animal DNA identification systems to help provide community leaders with a tool to bring peace back to the neighbourhood.”
Mr Boyd said if only dogs with DNA tags were allowed onto the unleashed exercise area it could stop the unwanted deposits on Griffith Park. Dog poo DNA testing is already being used by apartment buildings in the US. Mr Boyd says towns in Israel and Italy have also called on his services, with interest spreading to Canada and Germany.
HOW TO FIND THE CULPRIT
* A marble-sized amount of the dog dropping is collected and transferred to a solution container and shaken well.
* The dog poo mixture is then sent to the vet lab for analysis.
* A unique genetic profile is obtained from the DNA found in the poo sample and the dog and owner can then be identified.