In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013 photo, Barbara Kansky, condo manager of Devon Wood in Braintree, Mass., uses a long cotton swab to demonstrate how to obtain a DNA cheek cell sample from her dog, Justine. Apartment and condo managers, dogged by complaints from those who've have experienced the squishy and smelly sensation of stepping onto a pile of dog doo, are turning to DNA testing to identity the culprits who don't clean up after their pets. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Anyone who's ever stepped in a pile of squishy smelliness might appreciate this: Apartment and condo managers are turning to DNA testing to identify dogs whose owners don't clean up after them.
It's the latest twist in the long-running struggle to keep canine waste off lawns, hallways, elevators and other common areas of animal-friendly community buildings.
DNA monitoring has yielded immediate and dramatic results in the Massachusetts condominium community of Devon Wood. After testing was instituted in July, the problem pretty much ceased. So far, one resident dog has been identified as an offender.
The testing involves registering the DNA of all dogs in a community by collecting samples of their cheek cells using a pair of sterile swabs. Then a sample of feces is collected and sent to a lab for matching.
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