Toledo Humane Society removes labels for mixed breed dogs
The shelter recently received a grant to continue that work.
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - The Toledo Humane Society recently received a special grant aimed at helping find even more shelter dogs a home. The money will be used to continue the effort to remove labels from mixed breed dogs.
Experts say guessing about a dog’s breeding can sometimes make it tough to find a home. Kristen McCann is the Shelter Manager at THS.
“Studies have shown that visual identification in mixed breed dogs is highly inaccurate, even among animal welfare professionals. It’s shown that we could be wrong up to 75% of the time. So since less than 1% of a dog’s genome makes up what they’ll look like it doesn’t do us, or the dogs, any justice by guessing.”
The shelter finds homes for more than one thousand dogs of all shapes, sizes, and breeds every year.
“Anything we can do to help families take a look at dogs as an individual will find the right fit for the dog and the adopter,” says McCann.
Abbey Hall is the Development Manager at the shelter. She says sometimes good dogs are passed over simply because of a breed label.
“If you take away breed labels it allows people to come in here and connect with a dog based on personality versus I want a certain breed because they have these qualities. This allows them to come in and organically meet the animals up for adoption, and don’t make judgements based on a label.”
THS removed breed labeling for dogs at the shelter a couple years ago. A $1,000 grant from the Animal Farm Foundation will help continue that work.
“That is what it’s all about in our field, connecting animals to the right family without perceived breed labels,” says Hall.
Experts say if you really want to know the breeds in your dog, they suggest you purchase a Dog DNA test.
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