PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Oct. 20, 2015 – The new Quaye apartment complex takes pains to be pet friendly, as the dog park outfitted with a canine agility course attests.
But for dog owners who don't pick up their poop, the landlord might prove a stern master.
Tenants with dogs will be required to swab their dogs' mouths for DNA. The genetic code will be cataloged – and used to nab scofflaws who leave a mess on the grounds of the new community.
The Quaye at Palm Beach Gardens, developed by Tampa-based HG Management, is the latest landlord to test doggie DNA. As Americans' love of their pets clashes with their distaste for dog droppings, genetic tests have gained popularity.
HG Management will send the mouth-swab samples to Mr. Dog Poop Inc. of Tampa. Then, if the landlord finds droppings, a worker will collect a sample, place it in a special container and send it by priority mail to Mr. Dog Poop's lab.
The design of The Quaye, where the first tenants are scheduled to move in this week, includes plenty of places for pet owners to dispose of poop, said Nancy Cribb, regional manager for HG Management. For those who don't clean up and are caught, fines could be $50 to $100.
"It's an incentive for people to clean up after their pets," said Nancy Cribb, regional manager for HG Management. "No matter how convenient you make it, people don't always do what they should."
In communities with large numbers of canines, droppings quickly spiral out of control, said Mark Guarino, owner of Mr. Dog Poop. Not only is the scat disgusting, it also poses a health hazard, particularly to other dogs and to children.
"Dog poop is a real serious issue," Guarino said. "A lot of people don't even want to live anyplace that doesn't have DNA testing."
Guarino said his tests aren't especially accurate at identifying a dog's breed, but they're ideal for linking a dog to its poop.
"The FBI uses 13 genetic markers; we use 23," Guarino said. "It's incredibly accurate."
At the Quaye, located along Interstate 95 north of PGA Boulevard, monthly rents range from $1,490 for a two-bedroom apartment to $2,510 for a four-bedroom unit.
Pet owners will pay $500 to register their dogs, plus $25 a month rent. HG Management plans to start construction of another apartment complex, The Quaye at Wellington, and the landlord will insist on DNA testing there, too, Cribb said.
Guarino launched his poop-testing lab earlier this year, and he said he has signed up apartment complexes and condo associations throughout the country.
"When we started this company," Guarino said, "the one thing we underestimated was how much people hate dog poop."
Copyright © 2015 The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.), Jeff Ostrowski. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.