A while back I answered a question from a reader who wondered whether kittens from the same litter could have different fathers. The answer was yes. I also stated that human twins could, in the proper circumstances, be half-siblings.

From the May 29, 2009 issue of The Week:

[It was a good week for] ‘Heteropaternal superfecundation,’ after Mia Washington of Texas entered the biology textbooks because a DNA test revealed that her 11-month-old twins have different fathers. She admitted to have been sleeping with two men when they were conceived.

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DNA testing of dog feces isn’t just for Israel any more.

The January/February, 2009 issue of California Veterinarian contains an article describing a US-based company’s plans to make money by rooting out the identity of people who don’t pick up after their dogs.

Ever wondered which dog left that poop on your lawn? Hard to tell, given that 40 percent of dog owners don’t clean up after their dogs.

Enter genetic testing to the rescue. So far genetic testing of animals has been used to confirm pedigrees, determine genetic predisposition to disease, or identify dogs involved in an attack. However, a genetic testing laboratory in Knoxville, Tennessee is marketing a program which would use DNA to encourage dog owners to clean up after their pets.

Under the proposal, homeowners association, particularly in controlled environments like gated communities or condominiums, would have covenants requiring members to take their dogs to their veterinarian to get their dogs’ DNA, which would then be on file in a pet registry. When poop is found in a public place, it would be bagged and sent to the company, which would analyze it, match the results to the database, and report on which dog was responsible. The homeowners association could then fie the owners of the dog.

I am amazed by the 40 percent statistic, especially since dog feces represents a notable public health hazard. Certain canine intestinal parasites are contagious to humans and spread through feces.

I have a hunch that as DNA testing becomes ever more affordable schemes like the one mentioned in the article will continue to spread.

Photo: On Omotepe Island in Nicaragua nobody picks up after dogs.

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As a dog lover and a frequent pedestrian, I am troubled by people who don’t clean up after their dogs. Like everyone, I don’t enjoy stepping in dog feces. And, because I love dogs, I worry that dog feces on sidewalks will give ammunition to the dog haters of the world. Picking up dog poop is no fun, but it is part of having a dog.

I was therefore interested by a blurb that appeared in the November, 2008 issue of Veterinary Economics.

Fighting smelly streets with DNA. Almost everyone knows the cringe-worthy feel of stepping on a pile of fresh dog poop. Well, residents of Petah Tikva, Israel, can walk more freely through the streets now that city officials are using science to address the issue–and potentially saving a few pairs of shoes in the process.

The city has launched a six-month trial program that asks residents to take their dogs to a veterinarian, who swabs the pooch’s mouth to collect DNA. The DNA is then used in a database aimed at matching feces to dog and identifying each dog’s owner. Owners who pick up their dog’s droppings and deposit them in specially marked bins will be eligible for rewards of pet food coupons and dog toys. Droppings left in the street could earn the dog’s owner a municipal fine. The city will consider requiring DNA samples from all dogs if the trial run is successful. So far, residents are responding positively to the program–and enjoying the clean streets.

The program sounds expensive, and I certainly don’t envy the people who have to retrieve samples from the “specially marked bins”. But this is definitely an original solution to the problem of pet droppings in the street.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

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