Mutt Census: More Than Half of All Dogs are Mutts

The National Mutt Census suggests that 53 percent of all pet dogs in the U.S. are mixed breeds.

 

Best described as a pet-friendly version of the U.S. census, and conducted by the dog DNA analysis group Mars Veterinary, the Mutt Census also found that German Shepherd is the most common breed identified in America’s mutts.

Mars Veterinary, which is affiliated with the Pedigree brand, collected DNA samples from more than 36,000 mixed-breed dogs. This data was combined with more than 16,000 web survey responses to come up with the final results.

On the Mutt Census website there’s also a breakdown of mutts by state. In Illinois, the top breed detected in mutts was also German Shepherd (15.7 percent), followed by Labrador Retriever (15.6 percent), Chow Chow (10.5 percent), Boxer (7.9 percent) and Rottweiler (7.4 percent).

The Mutt Census also found that 50.9 percent of survey participants in Illinois said they adopted their mixed-breed dog from a shelter. On a national level, 46 percent of people adopted their mixed-breed dog from a shelter.

The report also found that nearly nine out of 10 – or 89 percent – of mutts are neutered.

For more results from the Mutt Census, visit www.muttcensus.com.

To find out if pet adoption is right for your family, check out Katherine Fernholz’s story devoted just to this topic.

Think Remy, the dog featured here, is a keeper? You can find him and other dogs available for adoption at PAWS.

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