TIME TO SCOOP THAT POOP!

     I really wanted to write about that math teacher, who pleaded guilty to having sex with four of her male students. She even made them wait their turn while she did the other one. Then I thought, "How many times do I need to write about teacher-student sex?" Though, I do love it, it seems to be the same story over and over again and besides....The teacher wasn't even good looking. So, today, I chose a pretty interesting story that hits a little bit on a personal level. 

     As I've said in the past, I am a dog owner. That being said; I remember when my wife and I used to live in an apartment complex and I we needed to walk our dog around the complex to go to the bathroom. The problem was in doing so, we always felt like we were dodging land mines because there was so much dog poop on the sidewalk from owners not picking up their dog's waste. Yes. Very disgusting! Today, when we go to visit my mother-in-law, who lives in a 55 and older community, it's the same problem when we take our dog for walk over there. People will not pick up after their dogs, but they will be the first to complain that they stepped in dog poop!

     Well, a Virginia condominium complex, The Rotonda in Tysons Corner plans to implement "Poo Prints," a DNA database of dogs in the building, in an effort to catch owners that don't scoop up their dog's poop. In a March newsletters, the condo association notified its residents they will have to register their dogs and take swabs of their DNA with Rotonda staff watching. All swabbed dogs are required to wear special tags in a visible spot. Any dog waste found in the Fairfax County gated community after May 1 will be sent to a DNA contractor. If dog owners are linked to the offending specimens, they will be fined up to $600. This plan is brilliant! Nothing changes human behavior more than putting the fear of fines into them. Many complexes don't even allow dogs for this reason. Maybe this will change with this new DNA plan. 

     The newsletter also stated, "Unscooped pet waste is becoming a real health concern on the Rotonda exterior property, as well as in building hallways, lobbies, loading docks, and garages. Not only is it unsightly, but more importantly, it can be unsafe to other pets, children and the environment." The Rotonda is not the first place to create such a database. In 2011, the mayor of the Israeli town of Petah Tikva pioneered a dog DNA testing to sniff out dog owners in need of a pooper scooper. Like I stated earlier, this plan is brilliant and I hope this catches on in all communities because stepping in someone else's dog shit is the worst! I thank God that we have a house with a big backyard!