Pet friendly apartments have turned to pet DNA testing to help keep common areas clear of dog poop. It has worked for many apartment complexes.
By John Triplett
The company that started pet DNA testing for apartment buildings, PooPrints, has recently launched the Travel Dog membership program that
Brody, pictured above, is a Travel Dog member.
allows pet owners to register their pets in the DNA World Pet Registry using a simple DNA sample, according to a release.
“Due to the success of our PooPrints DNA testing program in multifamily properties, we are now looking to expand pet access to other types of properties. We are also receiving inquiries from cities and towns because they are looking for ways to promote responsible dog ownership,” David Woody, director of business development for BioPet Labs, told Rental Housing Journal.
“Travel Dog is a voluntary program for the actual dog owner, because across the country dog owners are losing access to places they can take their dogs,” Woody said which is one reason the new program was started.
However if a city was trying to require PooPrints, he said he was not sure how well that would work because “a typical city that requires pet registration is only going to get about 10 percent of the people to register their dogs, so from a compliance stand point it doesn’t really work.”
From the apartment and condo standpoint, it can be difficult to find rental condos that are pet friendly. Woody said if a pet owner can show they have their pet DNA on file, that can help show the condo owner that they are a responsible pet owner. That is not the sole reason. But at least that gives the dog owner a little more ammunition to show the apartment or condo landlord or owner – who might consider being pet friendly – that they are a responsible pet owner.
““For the multifamily industry in the United States we have the PooPrints program,” he said, but there are situations where private condos and apartments don’t have the ability to implement the program’s entire infrastructure, and dog owners want to make the rental housing owners more comfortable with being pet friendly.” So Travel Dog could be a step in that direction.
Looking to promote responsible dog ownership through pet DNA testing
This is Knox, whose owner purchased a Travel Dog membership.
“We are looking to promote responsible dog and pet ownership as a whole,” Woody said. “We want to give dog owners a way to be proactive” which they can do with Travel Dog.
“We are focusing on the environmental side because we see article after article,” of pet owners being denied access to areas due to pet waste. “We saw there was a large dog park in Colorado that shut down due to pet waste,” he said. “Dog owners had been visiting this park for years, and the dog owners basically said we will DNA our dogs – we can show we are responsible and we are not causing this problem.”
Woody said another problem is that sometimes dog owners will bag the poop, and then drop the poop bag beside a trail or even leave it next to a garbage can, instead of putting it inside he said. This contributes to dog owners losing their access to public areas. “Every time we turn around we are seeing, for environmental reasons, dog owners are starting to lose their access to areas,” he said.
“Frankly that extends to apartment buildings as well,” he said. “On the PooPrints side, we are in about 2,500 apartment buildings. We have tenants that go from one PooPrints property to another,” and they can transfer their world pet registry to the new apartment building, if it is pet friendly.
Dog waste problems in Colorado parks
The Denver Post reported earlier this year that for the second time in five months, the Railyard Dog Park in downtown Denver was closed because of piles of dog poop not picked up by pet owners. “Once it gets to the point where it’s unsanitary, we have to close it,” Yolanda Quesada, director of communications for Denver Parks and Recreation, told the newspaper.
Another dog park in Evergreen, Colorado, Elk Meadow, was closed permanently, partly because Jefferson County Open Space officials had declared high levels of E. coli from dog waste. That, plus parking problems, forced them to permanently close Elk Meadow Dog Park.
Dog waste environmental problem not new
“The dog waste problem is not new, especially as a source of water pollution. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies dog waste as a major pollutant and most recently the University of Minnesota found dog waste is the third largest pollutant of the Mississippi River,” J Retinger, President BioPet Laboratories, said in a release.
“What is new, is that the strong human animal bond is creating dramatic growth in dog ownership, especially in urban areas. The result is a true dog waste crisis meaning many dog owners are banned from bringing their dogs to parks, beaches and even cemeteries. In extreme cases, such as Colorado’s Evergreen Dog Park, permanent closures are occurring.”
Travel Dog is a membership club for responsible dog owners that will serve as a global brand representing responsible pet ownership and concern for the environment through pet DNA testing, according to the release.
Each Travel Dog member registered through pet DNA testing, receives an exclusive Travel Dog tag and is registered in BioPet’s 250,000 member DNA World Pet Registry. Travel Dog membership also enables each owner’s dog to be recognized by pet friendly hotels, restaurants, attractions, and other businesses. Through the Travel Dog logo these businesses will display to pet owners that they are pet friendly. A percentage of Travel Dog sales are donated to animal welfare causes, according to the release.
“Cities and counties also benefit from BioPet’s Travel Dog and DNA World Pet Registry™ as they provide the basis and infrastructure for developing dog waste control programs,” added Retinger.
Portland can fine dog owners up to $150
According to Portland’s Parks and Recreation Department, “Dog poop is essentially raw sewage; it contains harmful organisms like E. coli, Leptospira, and roundworms. These organisms can be contracted by other dogs, wildlife, and even children. Bacteria from dog poop can wash into rivers and streams when it rains.
City Code also requires that all poop must be picked up and disposed of into the proper receptacle. Violation of either leash or scoop laws will result in a fine of up to $150.”
Resources:
What pollutes the urban Mississippi? Lawns, dogs and lots of pavement runoff
Piles of poop shut down Railyard Dog Park in Denver — again
Popular Evergreen off-leash dog park closing for good despite efforts to save it
Seattle people, dogs and parks plan
Frequently Asked Questions about dogs in Portland’s parks
The Scoop On How Pet DNA Testing Fixes Your Apartment Poop Problem
Why Are Some Property Managers Not Solving Pet Poop Problems?
About Biopet Laboratories
BioPet Laboratories is an international biotechnology company specializing in animal genetics. The company’s full-service laboratory provides comprehensive DNA analysis, reporting, research and product development. BioPet Laboratories’ mission is to promote responsible pet ownership, provide pet waste management solutions and to improve public facility access enabling owners to take their pets anywhere. For more information about BioPet Laboratories or its DNA-based pet products, contact us at www.biopetlabs.com or call (865) 546-2862.
