Some people have told Barbara Bartolomeo that her family’s 10-month-old dog Tori looks part greyhound, though others are certain there’s some pit bull in the mix. Bartolomeo is convinced the energetic pup has more than a bit of boxer.
In four weeks, she’ll know for sure.
Tori was one of eight mystery mutts to receive a doggie DNA test Saturday morning at the PETCO on Middlebrook Road in Germantown to determine their breeds. The event was a fundraiser for Knine Rescue, a Germantown-based nonprofit that pairs abandoned dogs with foster families until they are placed in a permanent home. Many of the pets tested were pooches placed by the group.
‘‘I’m very curious,” Bartolomeo, 43, of Boyds said as she balanced her 2-year-old son Trevor in her arms. The family took in Tori, its first foster dog, for Knine Rescue in January but decided to adopt her within a few days. ‘‘People always ask what breed she is, so it’ll be nice to tell them,” she said.
A portion of the proceeds from each $120 DNA test was donated by MetaMorphix Inc., an animal genomics company headquartered in Beltsville. A total of $240 was raised for the nonprofit, according to Knine founder Chris Biscardi of Germantown, who learned through DNA testing that one of her three adopted dogs was an Akita-borzoi-boxer-Chou mix.
The Swab-a-Thon, Knine’s first, was a success, she said, and the group may do more in the future.
DNA samples are obtained via a 30-second cheek swab and mailed to MetaMorphix for analysis. The company looks for matches in its database of over 100 breeds, according to Theresa Brady, a spokeswoman for the biotech.
‘‘People are more and more interested in getting dogs from rescues, which is a good thing, but they still wonder what it is,” Brady said last week. ‘‘It can tell you a lot about what their behavior will be.”
Some owners are looking for mixes of allergy-friendly breeds, she said. Certain breeds are prone to specific health problems. Australian terriers and giant schnauzers are predisposed to diabetes, and obsessive compulsive disorder is common among Border collies and miniature bull terriers.
Learning about possible health complications was a selling point for Bartolomeo, who benefited from knowing that her previous dog was mixed with malamute. The breed is prone to juvenile cataracts, a condition that rarely progresses to blindness, so she knew not to panic when the dog began developing eye problems.
As for Tori’s genetic predispositions, the family will have to wait and see.
‘‘I guess we’ll find out soon,” Bartolomeo said.
For more
Learn more about Knine Rescue at www.kninerescue.petfinder.com or e-mail knine2@hotmail.com.
