Plagued with pets that do business in all the
wrong places, dog owners in the Village of Abacoa, a condominium
association of 458 units, must pay a $200 fee starting Aug. 1. The money
will pay DNA Pet World Registry to take the dog’s genetic fingerprint
and keep the information on file.
Doggie droppings found in condo common areas will
be collected and mailed in a plastic tube to a Knoxville, Tenn.-based
company. If the poop matches the pooch, the owners can be fined up to
$1,000. If they don’t pay, a lien can be placed on their home, said
Susan Nellen, property manager for Versa Property Management, which
manages the condo near Roger Dean Stadium.
Not everyone supports the policy.
“This is nuts. They will be testing all kinds of
poop. Is this America?” said Troy Holloway, who owns one of the
condos.
But managers say they have no choice. Dogs are
defecating and urinating in elevators, in stairwells, on carpets and in
the lobby, as well as common areas outside. The condo association is
spending $10,000 to $12,000 a year replacing and cleaning, said Matthew
Brickman, president of the Village of Abacoa Condominium Association.
“The smell is disgusting,” Nellen said.
“Residents are embarrassed to have company. Dog crap is everywhere.”
Beginning Aug. 1 and until Aug. 31, a dog owner
must pay a $200 one-time fee for a swab to be taken from their dog’s
mouth. DNA Pet World Registry uses the swab to determine the dog’s DNA
sample. The dog is issued a identification tag to wear on its collar.
Owners who pay after Aug. 31 will be charged $500.
A maintenance person from Versa Management will
collect marble-sized samples found in restricted areas. The samples go
in a leakproof plastic container about the size of a small perfume
bottle containing DNA stabilization solution. The container is mailed to
DNA Pet World, where the identification test is done.
If the illegal poop matches a registered dog, the
owner can be fined. If the problem persists, the animal can be
confiscated, Brickman said.
“It’s not the dog’s fault,” Brickman said.
“Many are trapped inside all day while their owners work. That’s why
I don’t have a dog.”
He figures about 40 percent of residents own dogs.
The usual charge for signing up and testing a dog
is about $90. That includes the swab, the container and the DNA matchup,
said Eric Mayer, director of franchise development for PooPrints, a
Knoxville-based company that works with DNA World Pet Registry.
The $200 to $500 per pet owner will defray cleanup
costs and pay for doggie bags distributed free in the condo, Brickman
said.
Feces identification is a booming business. DNA
Pet World and PooPrints — their motto is “Match the Mess through
DNA”— are spinoffs from BioPet Vet Labs. They started in October. By
the end of the year, they expect to have 300 American franchises, Mayer
said.
The process only works for feces. There is not
enough DNA in urine to make a match, Mayer said.
Despite the high cost, the penalty might not
prevent the problem, Holloway said.
And the expense will be a hit on residents on a
tight budget. Holloway’s tenant owns a teacup breed dog that weighs
about 2 pounds.
“That’s $250 a pound,” Holloway said.
“That’s an expensive dog.”