One Canadian university is making dog owners' dirty work a little easier, and it's all for science.
The University of Calgary has asked dog owners to hand over their pets' poop, so it can study it for gastrointestinal parasites.
Researchers want to determine how parasites are passed between dogs and wild animals like coyots and rodents in the city's parks, and a look at the poop could help.
“We will pick it up from a household," researcher Anya Smith told The Globe and Mail. "[Owners] don’t need to be home. We’ll send instructions on leaving it outside.”
She said the school would give owners a lab report on their pet's health in exchange for the sample.
The city of Calgary is sponsoring the study, CBC News reported, and about 6,000 local dog owners who live near popular city parks will get invitations to join the study next week.
