SPCA In Erie County May DNA Test To Help Pit Bulls + Others
There's an unfair reputation that pit bulls and some other breeds face when looking for a forever home according to workers who work at adoption shelters including the Erie County SPCA. To help combat prejudice against specific breeds, the Erie County SCPA is looking into DNA testing to properly identifying dogs that come to the shelter and not just relying on previous owners. According to Gina Browning, who is the Chief Communications Officer of the Erie County SPCA:
they lean heavily on information provided by the surrendering party as well as their own expertise when establishing breed. That lack of scientific data has been the reason for a push within the shelter industry to use DNA testing to do the job more accurately. It's something her organization has just started discussing, but it's not without drawbacks.
The process can be very expensive to do as well, but they do find a lot of value if financially able to do so. Within the last year, the SPCA has found homes for over 2,200 surrendered dogs.