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Apartments tracking dog poop offenders using DNA

Posted at 7:42 AM, Mar 13, 2013
and last updated 2013-03-13 07:47:16-04

IRVING, TX (WTVR) - Dogs are perfectly cute, but not always perfectly clean and picking up after them can often turn into a blame game. That's why dozens of apartment complexes are now turning to a 21st century solution to the problem: dog DNA.

Dog owners living in apartments in the Dallas area are getting notices from apartment managers demanding they hand over the genetic makeup of their pet, or face eviction.

It's not sitting well with many residents, including Brian Barcus,

"If they're gonna tell me I have to do something that wasn't in that lease, it's my turn to say tough luck."

The DNA is kept on file, when the complex finds dog waste, they pick it up and send it off to a lab for testing, it's usually pretty accurate.

There's no option for opting out either, Barcus says his Chaparral Creek complex in Los Colinas will terminate his lease if he refuses to submit the DNA or pay the fine for leaving poop lying around. He's angry they can change the terms now.

Attorneys say changes to existing leases are hard to enforce but not impossible. However, just the threat of a fine may lead to cleaner grounds. Barcus won't be sticking around to find out though, his lease is up this Summer.