The Guy In The Dog Suit: Part II

The results for Teddy’s DNA are in and it certainly surprised me. Half of his genetic profile is sort of a giveaway, given his telltale tongue. The rest is just the luck of the gene-pool draw.

Digging into Teddy’s heredity is a trivial indulgence for Silva and me, and makes for a little fun on the blog, but it’s absolutely meaningless to Teddy. However, his results underscore the fact that the visual appraisal of a shelter dog’s lineage is a fool’s game. Yet, the lives of many shelter dogs hang on such shelter staff appraisals. In some communities, a visual ID can place a dog into a banned breed category — and cost the animal his life. Where no bans exist, an incorrect ID can prejudice a potential adopter: “My mom was bitten by a poodle and I don’t trust them.”

OK, back to Teddy. He’s all mutt!

The Wisdom Panel at Mars Veterinary identifies Teddy’s three primary genetic contributors as chow (no surprise here), Jindo (surprising, but consistent with general appearance) and Dalmatian. Wow! Never, ever would I have guessed that last one, but it’s really fun to imagine what a polka-dot Teddy would look like.

The rest of Teddy is a mix of random breeds and a catalog of experiences that includes six weeks on the streets of New Orleans as a very young pup, following Hurricane Katrina.

As his rescuer, Don Arnold, one of our most dedicated and skilled search and rescue Katrina volunteers, wrote in a recent email: “You don’t need a DNA test for Teddy, my friend. Teddy is a 100 percent Don’s Darlin’ Dog, and a very good-looking one at that.” Don saved many dogs and cats from dire circumstances and I’m forever grateful that Teddy was one of them.

So who won the “Guess Teddy’s DNA” contest? While lots of folks got the chow part correct, no one named either his Jindo or Dalmatian forebears, so we tossed into a hat all the names of everyone who got the chow part right. And the winner is:

Michelle Faraji

Thanks for playing along, Michelle. We’ll be emailing you about your prize.

Together, we can Save Them All.

Love reading the Best Friends Blog? Make sure you never miss a post by clicking here to subscribe and receive every post right in your inbox.

Francis Battista
Co-founder
Best Friends Animal Society

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CommentsI am a Vet Tech, and I’ve never heard of a Jindo. What is their … by Birdmama16Chris, Yorkie just means your dog has some kind of terrier in … by tThis is my dog Wylie, proudly showing off his artistic … by Chris BoortzIt reminds me of the chart I saw last time I was volunteering … by vicktory devoteewe ran a wisdom panel on my parents dog. 12 inches tall, 18 … by Random FelinesAlthough I never would have guessed I can see the Dalmatian … by Sharon Padgett

Related StoriesTen years later: Reflections on Hurricane KatrinaFull-circle win in Beverly HillsA DNA test for the guy in a dog suit 

Source: https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/109198774/0/bfasblog~The-guy-i..

Tweet

Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships nationwide, all coordinated from our Kanab, Utah headquarters - the largest no-kill sanctuary for homeless companion animals.

At the core of our work is the dream that one day kindness will replace cruelty, and animals will no longer be destroyed because they are unwanted or imperfect. Spaying and neutering will be the rule for all pets and adoption from local animal shelters and rescues will be the first option for everyone. Those same shelters and rescues will have the knowledge and resources to help rehabilitate special-needs animals and find the right family for every animal.

More Articles   |   Website