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Research Study on Mislabeling of Pit Bulls by Veterinarians

Posted by Joe Gargiulo | Thu, Mar 24, 2016 @ 07:39 AM

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“Shelter staff and veterinarians routinely make subjective dog breed identification based on appearance, but their accuracy regarding pit bull-type breeds is unknown,” states a study published by The Veterinary Journal in July 2015. Dr. Julie Levy from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida is a dog lover and the lead author of the project, “Inconsistent Identification of Pit Bull-type Dogs by Shelter Staff.”

"[The] identification of dogs as pit bulls can trigger an array of negative consequences, from the loss of housing to being seized by animal control to the taking of the dog's life," said Dr. Levy in Science Daily.

Thus, veterinarians can provide a greater service to pets and pet owners as well as local governments burdened with policing mislabeled dogs by making minor adjustments to their labeling practices.

The study sought to measure agreement among shelter staff in assigning pit bull-type breed designations to shelter dogs and to compare breed assignments with DNA breed signatures. Researchers evaluated breed assessments of 120 dogs made by 16 staff members at four shelters (including four veterinarians).

ThinkstockPhotos-484764600.jpgThe results of the study were discouraging. “Dogs with pit bull heritage breed DNA were identified only 33 to 75 percent of the time, depending on which of the staff members was judging them,” said researchers. “Conversely, dogs lacking any genetic evidence of relevant breeds were labeled as pit bull-type dogs from 0 to 48 percent of the time.”

"In the high-stakes world of animal shelters, a dog's life might depend on a potential adopter's momentary glimpse and assumptions about its suitability as a pet,” said Dr. Levy in Science Daily. “If the shelter staff has labeled the dog as a pit bull, its chances for adoption automatically go down in many shelters." In conclusion, the study said the lack of consistency among shelter staff indicates that visual identification of pit bull-type dogs was unreliable.

Armed with inexpensive DNA testing kits, veterinarians can properly identify dog breeds, underline their commitment to helping animals and pet owners, and lessen the burden placed on public safety officials.

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Topics: Veterinarians

Written by Joe Gargiulo

Marketing Specialist Joe Gargiulo has 25-plus years in marketing, communications and copy writing. As a writer, he enjoys connecting story leads to all aspects of the human experience.