Giving Back

Does any word describe a dog better than devotion? They are the embodiment of love, loyalty and enthusiasm for their companions. Yet, so many of them remain misunderstood, un-adopted, or worse because in many cases we lack the ability to understand them and meet their needs. One of our core beliefs at What’s Your Mutt is that we can help fill some of that void and help people to understand dogs in new ways. Many common traits considered undesirable that are exhibited by canines are actually dictated by their genetics. For example, recent research has shown that behavioral tendencies, such as being agitated when ignored and stranger directed fear, are influenced by variants in a dogs genome.

Stop to think about that for a minute. A dog in a shelter that does not approach a potential adopter because of stranger directed fear is not an inherently shy or fearful animal, rather it has a genetic trait that can be understood and accommodated. A dog that has the genetic variant that makes them fearful around other dogs is naturally at a disadvantage in a shelter setting. Through our giving back program, we hope to help as many dogs as possible by providing the data to better understand them and ultimately to help them find a great home. That is our devotion to them.