Dog Poop Skirmish Turns Deadly, Philadelphia Police Say

Dog poop routinely sparks skirmishes between neighbors. But in Philadelphia on Tuesday, one confrontation reportedly resulted in something much worse than just blemished grass and bruised relations.

Police say a 27-year-old man shot and killed his neighbor, the regrettable climax of an ongoing feud over dog droppings, according to media reports out of Philadelphia. Police say that the suspect, Tyrirk Harris, owns a German Shepherd and Chihuahua, and neglected to pick up after them, resulting in droppings spread across neighbors' lawns.

"A German Shepherd and a Chihuahua -- these dogs were running free," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told TV station NBC 10. "There were dog feces on several of the neighbor's yards. That's what led to this particular confrontation."

Harris reportedly carried a 9mm handgun on his hip. During a struggle over the gun on Harris' porch, the victim, Franklin Manuel Santana, 47, (pictured above with his infant son) was shot several times, Philly.com reports.

"He didn't run. He just stood there," neighbor Miguel Rivera reportedly said of the murder suspect. "I guess he was shocked at what happened."

Perhaps in part to avoid such explosive clashes, communities across the country are adopting a radical approach to curbing unwelcome pet droppings: requiring residents to have their dog's genetic footprint recorded.

That way supervisors, like those who oversee one apartment building in the Village of Abacoa, Fla., can identify negligent homeowners and impose steep fines for allowing their pets to poop in banned areas.