Our understanding of genetic material allows us to do many important things, and shaming dog-owners who leave canine poop in public places is surely one of them.
As reported in the Monitor this week (here’s the story), a Concord man wants to establish a city-wide directory of canine DNA (cheek swabs will do the trick) so that offending dog-walkers can be found and fined. This isn’t a crazy idea, since it’s done at many large apartment complexes, but Nick Reid’s story casts legal cold water on it: “It is clear that the city does not have the authority to require DNA testing for dogs under state law.”
But wait! He adds this: “Current state law, that is.”
Keep your eyes peeled for any bill in the Legislature next session with “fecal matter” in the title.
Return to the Concord Monitor