Debbie Violette is fed up with dog owners in her apartment complex who refuse to pick up their dog poop.
"We've tried doing the warning letters. We've tried all sorts of things," she said. "It's always a problem. It's just that the majority of people are responsible pet owners and there are a few who are not."
More than 30 dogs call the 252-unit complex home.
Violette purchased DNA sampling kits from a Knoxville, Tenn., company called PooPrints, a subsidiary of BioPet Vet Lab. Jim Simpson, president of the lab, said about 20 properties in the country have been using the kits.
Violette took saliva samples from all the dogs in the complex and sent it off to a lab. The next step is not pleasant:
"We have to take a sample of the dog doo-doo," Violette said.
She said it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. The samples will be sent to the lab to find a match.
Violette says she's unclear how much the fine will actually be once she catches the violators in the act.
