If you’re a “dog person” you probably have seen a mutt now and then that looks so cute, or silly, or maybe, even so odd, that you wondered what in the world mix of breeds it was. At animal shelters, like ours, it’s more than just a bit of a curiosity. It’s serious business. The staff and volunteers make educated guesses about their mutts’ breed backgrounds because different breeds have different needs. Knowing what a dog was originally bred to do helps us at the shelter make sure they are placed in a home that will enjoy that dog’s inborn nature.
That brings us to Daisy, the first ever of our mixed breed shelter dogs to have a DNA test done while waiting to be adopted. This bright, beautiful, agile, bundle of energy is about 8 months-old and caught the eye of one of the Shelter Connection volunteers who decided, based on behavior, looks, intelligence, “drives,” and devotion to handlers that border collie was somewhere in the mix. She treated Daisy to a cheek swab test from Canine Heritage.
Patch readers are invited to visit theshelterconnection.org website to view a video of Daisy during one of her exercise/training sessions and to read more about her personality traits. Then, click the link to our Facebook page to find her photo and comment on what breeds you think she’s got in the “mix.” The results will be posted on our website and Facebook page Friday July 27.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll even find that Daisy is your perfect match. Wouldn’t that be nice?
is the humane education coordinator for the North Hempstead Animal Shelter's all volunteer group, The Shelter Connection.
