BioPet Vet Lab announces world’s first city-wide implementation of PooPrints™ DNA Program in London
27 April 2015 - 4:26PM
Business Wire
Tennessee-based BioPet Vet Lab brings its successful
PooPrints™ DNA Pet Waste Management program overseas, as London
becomes the first city in the world to introduce DNA testing to
enforce dog poop laws.
BioPet Vet Lab, a US biotechnology company specializing in
canine genetic testing, announced today that the London Borough of
Barking and Dagenham (LBBD) has voted to implement PooPrints™ - a
program designed by BioPet to promote responsible pet ownership and
address one of the world’s growing environmental problems.
PooPrints DNA Pet Waste Management makes headlines in the United
States as the high-tech forensic approach to ‘match the mess’ and
permanently solve dog poop problems in over 1,000 communities
across 45 states and Canada. As the canine population in America
eclipses 80 million dogs, unscooped pet waste has become an
increasing hazard, especially in storm-water runoff, not to mention
a general nuisance to all. Public awareness of dog poop has
increased over the last few years due to public educational
campaigns and new technologies, like PooPrints, which use science
to solve every-day problems.
The idea to implement PooPrints throughout an entire city is
gaining traction. Earlier this month, Indiana’s Carmel Clay Parks
& Recreation Department indicated they will be moving forward
with PooPrints™ to keep their municipal bark parks clean and green,
the first in the US.
Now, rather appropriately, the London Borough of Barking and
Dagenham has become the first city council in Britain, and indeed
the first city council in the world, to employ PooPrints. In
pursuit of this effort, BioPet has partnered with Welsh biotech
firm Streetkleen Bio, LTD, to launch PooPrints UK. Due to new
legislation introduced in the United Kingdom, known as Public Space
Protection Orders (PSPO), DNA technology could potentially be used
to clamp down on errant dog poop.
UK Councils can now enforce a PSPO on any public space within
its area – including public parks, cemeteries and beaches – if they
believe that certain anti-social behaviours (like dog poop) could
have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of residents. As
such, dog owners frequenting these areas could be encouraged to
have their dog’s DNA registered with PooPrints UK.
The process works by taking a painless cheek swab from the dog,
which is sent to BioPet’s PooPrints laboratory in Knoxville,
Tennessee. Each individual dog’s profile is then added to the DNA
World Pet Registry. If a pet parent fails to pick up after their
pooch, a quick test on the dog waste sample can be matched back to
the registered dog with 99.9% accuracy.
Cllr. Darren Rodwell, Leader of London Borough of Barking and
Dagenham said: “We are the first Council in the country to get
really tough on dog mess and pet owners who do not act in a
socially responsible way. The vast majority of dog owners in
Barking and Dagenham are socially responsible but unfortunately a
selfish few think it’s ok to not clean up after their pet. Dog mess
not only spoils our streets - it’s also a health hazard and
especially to young children. It’s why we are using this innovative
approach in making a cleaner, healthier and better Barking and
Dagenham.”
Eric Mayer, Director of Business Development at BioPet, says
that with Earth Day celebrated this week, PooPrints’ arrival in the
UK highlights the company’s continuing commitment towards cleaner
and greener communities worldwide.
“Our aim with PooPrints™ is to make every city cleaner, and
greener, one poop pile at a time. PooPrints has resulted in a
significant reduction in dog waste in over one thousand communities
in the US, and we are excited to partner with Streetkleen Bio and
LBBD to bring our proven DNA pet waste management program to the
UK,” Mayer said.
So why all the “to-doo” over dog poo? In the United States
alone, 21 billion pounds of dog waste is generated annually, and up
to 40% remains un-scooped. Just one pile of dog waste contains over
3 billion fecal coliform bacteria, including E.coli and Salmonella.
Other pathogens from pet waste (including roundworms and their
eggs) can survive in the soil for several years. These pathogens
pose a health hazard as they transfer to other pets who walk by,
and just as shocking, transfer to humans. According to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), waste is one
vehicle from which zoonotic diseases pass from pets to humans.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named pet
waste as a non-point source pollutant, the same category as oil and
toxic chemicals. The EPA placed pet waste management at the top of
their guidelines for Pollution Prevention: Good Housekeeping for
Municipal Operations. They estimate that a 20 mile watershed can be
closed from just 2 to 3 days’ worth of droppings from a 100-dog
community. Clearly pet waste is no longer just a nuisance for
community and city management and BioPet views PooPrints™ as the
responsible answer to solving these environmental and health
problems.
Recent advances in sequencing technology have helped contribute
to PooPrints™ success, as DNA analysis has become an affordable
solution to tackle irresponsible dog ownership. Once the program is
implemented, the only additional cost is for ‘matching the mess’
analyses, which indeed become a rarity, and can be recouped through
fines handed back to the errant owner.
For more information, or to arrange an interview or photo
opportunity, please contact Eric Mayer at BioPet Vet Lab toll free
(866)883-7389 or email ericmayer@biopetvetlab.com.
- About BioPet Vet Lab: BioPet Vet
Lab is a biotechnology company specializing in animal genomics
located in Knoxville, Tennessee. BioPet’s research and development
group explores genetic science in order to offer new tests that can
be used to improve the healthcare and quality of life for our
beloved pets. For additional information about BioPet Vet Lab and
the PooPrints™ program, visit their website at
www.biopetvetlab.com, or www.pooprints.com.
- About Streetkleen and PooPrints
UK: The ethos of Streetkleen is to combine sustainability and
innovation to help individuals, organisations and local government
adopt a new approach to an age old problem - dog waste. New
venture, PooPrints UK, ‘matches the mess’ through DNA analysis. For
cities with thousands (if not millions) of dogs, the only foolproof
tool in enforcement of dog waste policy is through positive
identification with DNA. PooPrints UK provides the evidence needed
to enforce local dog policy, leaving public open spaces clean and
welcoming to dog owners and non-dog owners alike.
BioPet Vet LabEric Mayer,
866-883-7389ericmayer@biopetvetlab.com