My town is blessed with miles of sparkling ocean beaches. To keep these beaches pristine, we have ordinances about walking dogs and other animals, such as horses.
Animals cannot be trotted along the seashore during the summer tourist season, except in the mornings before beachgoers have arrived in numbers, and in the evenings. Additionally, dogs must be under either voice control (good luck) or on a leash. Most importantly, owners must clean up after their pets.
To keep townsfolk on the straight and narrow, we also have an official dog advisory committee. It identifies whether problems exist, and offers recommendations to address any such problems. The dog advisory committee posts signs, and publishes and distributes brochures reminding animal owners of their obligations. The committee also ensures adequate stocks of doggie poop bags, strategically placed at beachfront access points.
Regardless of these measures, there are still a fair amount of droppings on the beach sands. Taking the bull by the horns (no bovines have actually been spotted on the beaches to date), there's one courageous volunteer who routinely patrols the beach, armed with a supply of plastic bags and a scoop. This uncelebrated soul picks up after irresponsible owners and their pets. He deserves a medal, but the problem persists.
Technology may come to the rescue. In the Israeli city of Petah Tikva, a trial program is underway to use DNA analysis to test and identify dog poop.
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material found in most organisms. In the Israeli municipality, city officials asked pet owners for DNA samples taken from the mouths of their pets. Information from these cheek swabs is entered into a database, and inspectors can then match errant feces to the DNA data.
If a dog owner scoops up his pooch’s poop and places it in a special bin, that sample will be analyzed. If there's a match, the owner will be rewarded with free pet food coupons and dog toys. On the other paw, if droppings collected from a street or beach match the database, the pet owner will be notified – and fined.
The doggie DNA database has other benefits, too. For one thing, it’s expected to help veterinarians research genetic diseases. It can also help identify strays. For purebred lovers, DNA testing can also genetically
determine breed composition. If you have an adopted mixed-breed dog, like I do, DNA analysis can also reveal a dog's
heritage.
So there you have it. The straight poop.
