Destin condo wants doggies' DNA tested to track down problem poopers
By SAVANNAH VASQUEZ 315-4412 | @destinlogsav Svasquez@thedestinlog.com
Destin, FL
Pet owners living at Harbor Landing in Destin said they have recently received a strange request from their condominium homeowners association — doggie DNA testing.
“I think the consensus is that we are trying to be reasonable, cooperative, but this just rubs the dog owners the wrong way,” said a concerned Harbor Landing resident. “It feels invasive, over-reaching, and was enacted by a board who last month tried to outlaw smoking on your own private deck.”
In a letter sent to residents last week, pet owners were asked to register their dogs and cats with the association by having their pets DNA tested to help prevent unwanted pet waste in public areas.
“Over the past three weeks there has been a significant increase in the amount of pet waste that has appeared throughout the property, including inside the elevators,” the letter read.
“We are not sure why the pet owners have not done the responsible thing and cleaned up after their pets, so the board is instituting a pet registration policy that will also include the need to obtain a DNA sample from the pet at the time of registration,” the letter continued. “The DNA sample will then be sent off to a lab for testing and recording. This will then allow for the Association to track down the owner of the pet waste and stop the problems.”
The letter went on to state that pet owners would be responsible to pay for the DNA testing, pet registration fee, and would also be levied a clean-up fee if they continue to leave pet waste behind in the future.
Several concerned residents said that they are unsure as to why this issue is being brought up in such a way.
“The majority of the board members do not live here, they visit randomly as this is a second home for them,” said one resident. “As owners, they can vote and make rules, but this DNA tracking of the pets at the pet owner’s expense seems and feels over the top.”
Another worried occupant said that although their pet has already been swabbed, they do not believe this new pet policy will work.
“I don’t see how they can do it and do it right, because we have a lot of visitors here and they bring dogs,” the resident said. “Sometimes they have two or three (dogs) and sometimes they are big, sometimes they are little. Half of the time they (the HOA) don’t even know they (visiting dogs) are here.”
The residents who do not agree with the new policy said that they are afraid to give their identities because they do not want to stir up unwanted trouble with the HOA.