Woman's Apartment Complex Forced Her To DNA Test Her Dog So She Could Be Fined If She Didn't Pick Up Poop

Sounds invasive.

By Maddie Haley — Written on Feb 18, 2023

Photo: TikTok

Woman's Apartment Requires DNA Testing For Dog Poop

TikTok user maddieadele, who just moved into a new apartment, revealed a very strange request the complex had for her dog when she signed the lease to live there.

Anyone living in a populated area knows that accidentally stepping in dog poop because a lazy owner forgot to clean up after their pet can be enough to ruin your day — or at least your shoes.

And it seems Maddie's apartment building has a solution for this.

In her TikTok, she says her building wants her dog's DNA on record.

Maddie claims they asked her to swab her dog’s cheek and make a PooPrints account, which is a DNA-based solution for dog waste. If an owner does not pick up his or her dog’s poop, with PooPrints the apartment is able to trace it back to the dog via DNA testing.

Curious as to how this process works, Maddie says, “If she takes a sh– and I don't pick it up, I guess they’re gonna pick it up for me, and send it through the mail and then identify us and I don’t really know what happens after that.”

“I don’t know if they’re gonna fine us, I don’t know if they're gonna get a disease because they’re sending dog shit through the mail,” she adds.

“Like I get that not picking up your dogs sh– is unsanitary but like it can't be sanitary to send it through the mail.”

PooPrints' mission, as stated on their website, is “to increase responsible pet ownership through education, expand pet access and decrease the environmental impact of dog waste.”

In order for the offending canine to be tracked down, a “nickel-sized sample” of their poop must be collected, put into a resealable container, mailed to their laboratory, and matched to the DNA from the cheek swab.

A video on their YouTube channel demonstrates how to collect a sample.

Commenters on Maddie's TikTok seemed to agree that this was just a scare tactic. People who have lived in apartments that required PooPrints claimed that they never heard of anyone actually getting fined. Some even said it was impossible to get DNA from poop samples.

“I lived in an apartment that did this and never heard of anyone actually getting fined I think it was a scare tactic more than anything else,” one writes.

“My vet told me this is fake & they can’t actually dna test poop so they do this to scare you,” another adds.

Many thought it was a great way to hold pet owners responsible, claiming that they wish their apartment would implement PooPrint accounts as a requirement for all dog owners.