Leitrim County Council is hoping to develop a DNA database of dogs in the county to tackle fouling on streets and walkways.
The local authority has started collecting samples of fouling from across the county and is now cross-referencing it with DNA samples of dogs already in the county shelter.
The Council has engaged the services of PooPrints, an American company to carry out the DNA profiling and the local authority has confirmed that dog owners may be asked to co-operate with the Animal Warden in allowing a sample of saliva to be taken on a voluntary basis from their dog.
The move has been welcomed by Carrick-on-Shannon Tidy Towns, which has started highlighting examples of dog fouling in the town with brightly coloured spray paint.
Nora Duignan, PRO of the group, says it is very difficult for local groups to be dealing with such a preventable type of waste:
"It is unbelievably frustrating. The damage it does to tourism, the damage it does to your own shoes, or wheels of your buggy.
Imagine going through dog pooh and you know bringing it into your car. It's just horrible, not to mention blind people. Imagine trying to negotiate the streets bumping into dog pooh the whole time. It's just rotten.”
You can hear the full interview with Norma here:
Leitrim County Council has also issued the following statement in relation to the dog fouling issue:
Leitrim County Council has introduced DNA testing for dog fouling to identify offenders who neglect to pick up after their dogs. The Leitrim Animal Warden has commenced taking samples of dog waste in Carrick-on-Shannon and intends to match the samples with saliva samples taken from dogs in the same area. To date a small number of dog poo samples have been taken from streets and residential areas.
All stray and surrendered dogs which enter the Leitrim Dog Shelter are now routinely DNA tested. The Council intends to build up a database of dog DNA over time. The Council has engaged the services of PooPrints, an American company to carry out the DNA profiling. Dog owners may be asked to co-operate with the Animal Warden in allowing a sample of saliva to be taken on a voluntary basis from their dog.
Health Effects of Dog Waste
In addition to dog poo being unsightly, it also poses a risk to your health as it can contain bacteria such as E-coli and parasites such as round worm, the larvae of which can cause loss of vision. It has been estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million faecal coliform bacteria, which are known to cause cramps, diarrhoea, intestinal illness, and serious kidney disorders in humans.
Leitrim County Council request dog owners to be kind to their community and to please always pick up after your dog. Recent research highlights how big the issue dog fouling is and we want to reinforce the message that this is solely a human problem and not a dog one. Please think of the vulnerable members of your community such as wheelchair users, visually impaired people, babies and toddlers, those who use buggies and prams, as well as people playing sports. Whether you own a dog or not, dog waste in public spaces affects everyone so please……… Bag It, Bin It !
