Many Florida communities have residents who own dogs. Unfortunately, some of these dog owners are not taking responsibility and cleaning up after Fido. Not cleaning up after dogs, leaves the communities looking messy, and it is not sanitary. That's why many Florida communities are cracking down on dog poop offenders. Typically, it is very hard to spot a resident not cleaning up after their dog. Another resident may catch the person, but then it becomes a "he said" "she said" situation and without adequate proof, it is very difficult to issue fines. But, a new service called Poo Prints is making it much easier to crack down on dog poop offenders. In fact, some Florida communities are making Poo Prints a requirement for all dogs in the neighborhood.
Here's how it works: once an HOA board decides to implement the Poo Prints program, residents are required to pay for the Poo Prints initial service fee. After paying the fee, homeowners must take a swab of their dog's mouth and send it to the Poo Prints lab. The dog’s DNA will then be entered into the DNA World Pet Registry database. If the HOA finds a “gift” from Fido in the neighborhood, a sample will be taken from it and sent to the Poo Prints lab for DNA matching. Once a match is detected, the resident will be notified from the HOA that they are in violation of not cleaning up after their dog. It is so important for homeowners to clean up after their furry friends because, if caught you could be fined up to $100 per violation, based on your HOA's rules.
Dog poop issues in communities are becoming serious problems that have serious consequences. Expensive fines, liens on dog owner’s properties, and even eviction are just a few of the repercussions of not cleaning up after a dog. Avoiding these consequences by picking up after your pet will be beneficial to you and your community.
What do you think about associations implementing the Poo Prints service on dog owners? Does your community have an issue with many dog poop offenders? How are you handling it? Let us know in the comments section below.