Don’t judge a pup by its spots - HSTT drops dog breed labels

These days the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe’s dog descriptions read less like a list of stats, and more like a friendly dating site, thanks to a recent move to drop breed labels.

Potential adopters may find that Lily is a “fun-loving and energetic girl with a lot of love to share,” while Sherman’s favorite activity is “going on long nature hikes with you.” But what they won’t find are specific breed labels.

“It’s a new strategy in animal welfare,” explains HSTT Executive Director Stephanie Nistler. “Our goal is to make sure adopters are picking dogs that are the right fit for them and their families, regardless of breed.

Nistler says the majority of dogs in shelters are of mixed breed heritage and the HSTT is no exception. Unless there is indisputable proof of a dog’s pedigree, visual identification is tough. She says that too often with mixed breed dogs the label is incorrect, which can lead to misguided judgements.

“We want people to choose their future companions based on a dog’s personality profile rather than their appearance,” she says. “Looks don’t equal behavior.”

Nistler and her staff have experienced the breed labeling conundrum first-hand.

“We have seen countless litters of puppies where the littermates look nothing alike,” Nistler adds. “If we didn’t know they came from the same set of parents, we would find ourselves labeling them differently, which would be inaccurate most of the time.”

In the end, the policy change is a win-win for all concerned at the HSTT.

“Removing these labels allows adopters to make their own judgments,” she says. “They adopt dogs for their actual personality rather than a perceived one based on a breed label.”

For more information about adopting a dog or cat from the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, visit hstt.org.