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Poop patrol option offered

It’s part of a program called “PooPrints.”
Adam Uren Feb 9, 2018
The landlords of a luxury apartment complex in Minneapolis wants to DNA test renters’ dogs as part of a crackdown on a “small percentage of residents” who don’t clean up after their pets.
An email sent to residents of Mill and Main, on St. Anthony and Main, on Thursday informed them that every dog owner in the building – including service dog owners – must present their pets for a DNA swab over the next month.
Building owner Doran Properties has signed up for Tennessee-based program called “PooPrints,” which analyses the DNA found in un-scooped poop against the DNA profiles of pets owned by renters to determine who’s responsible for “leaving the scene.”
The person responsible will then be fined $350 by Doran – and they could lose their apartment if they don’t pay up. If they fail to give over a DNA swab by March 9, they’ll be fined $10-a-day.
“Un-scooped dog waste has become a concern for our community due to a small percentage of residents not cleaning up after their dogs,” the email says. “Not only is it unsightly, but more importantly, it can be unsafe to other animals, children, and the environment.”

‘This is ridiculous’
The email was forwarded to GoMN by a renter and dog owner who has lived in the complex for two years, but wanted to remain anonymous.
“Our building is right in front of a dog park, so there’s a good chance it’s not even coming from someone in this building,” they told GoMN.
“I’m a dog owner myself and I find it disgusting when someone doesn’t pick up after their dog, but this is ridiculous.
“I just signed my lease again and this was never part of the lease agreement.”
They did say there was a point last year when an area around the complex was being repeatedly used as a pooping ground, but believes the poop left behind was probably the work of a single, lazy tenant.
In response, Doran Properties VP of communications Tonya Tennessen told GoMN: “Our residents of Mill & Main – including those with and without pets – expect and enjoy the very best from their living community.
“Using technology to help maintain the luxury experience our community expects is, frankly, nothing new to this market or to the industry more broadly. This is, increasingly, a widely adopted practice.”
The Rental Housing Journal just last month published a piece on how DNA testing can help landlords address poop problems in apartment complexes.

By Adam Uren
Adam is a GoMN senior producer and editor of the Tip Jar column. He’s British, but don’t hold that against him.