>> Matt: SO I KNOW YOU’VE HEARD OF ALL THE D.N.A. TESTS OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT THEIR FAMILY TREE,
BUT DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE NOW
PET D.N.A. TESTS, TOO?
THE TESTS CAN TELL YOU WHAT KIND
OF BREEDS MAKE UP YOUR PET AS
WELL AS WHAT KIND OF MEDICAL
CONDITIONS THEY MAY HAVE.
>> Lisa: THAT’S RIGHT.
SO WE WANTED TO KNOW JUST HOW
ACCURATE THESE TESTS REALLY ARE.
NEWS 6 INVESTIGATOR ADRIANA
EVASHINSKI AND PRODUCER PUT THEM
TO THE TEST.
WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT?
>> Reporter: WELL, THERE’S A
SHELTER PICKUP NAMED PENNY AND
SHE WANTED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT HER BACKGROUND.
WE DECIDED TO TRY TWO OF THE
MOST POPULAR PET D.N.A. TESTS
WHICH RUN ABOUT $200 A TEST AND
WE WANTED TO SEE IF THEY CAME
BACK WITH THE SAME RESULTS.
>> WHEN ERIN FIRST LAID EYES ON
LITTLE PENNY, SHE LOOKED NOTHING
LIKE THIS.
>> THE RESCUE FOUND HER
WANDERING THE STREETS.
SHE WAS SO MATTED.
SHE HAD DREADLOCKS GOING TO THE
FLOOR.
>> Reporter: SHE STILL WANTED TO
KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HER
PRECIOUS LITTLE PUP.
>> HER AGE, HER BREED,
EVERYTHING WAS REALLY A GUESS.
>> Reporter: THAT’S WHEN SHE
DISCOVERED THE DOGGIE D.N.A.
TESTS THAT SAY THEY CAN HELP DOG
OWNERS LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR
PUP’S BREED, ANCESTRY AND
RELATIVES, WITH A CHEEK SWAB.
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY COOL
AND SOMETHING I WANTED TO TRY.
>> SO WE DID.
>> WE MAILED IT IN THIS.
>> Reporter: ERIN DID ONE TEST
ON HER OWN WITH PENNY AND WE DID
ONE TOGETHER WHERE WE SWABBED
PENNY’S CHEEK ONE MORE TIME,
STUCK THE RESULTS IN A TUBE,
WROTE DOWN THE INFO AND SENT IT
OFF TO A LAB.
WITHIN TWO WEEKS ERIN GOT THE
RESULTS BACK.
>> I WAS DEFINITELY SURPRISED
WITH THE RESULTS WE RECEIVED.
I EXPECTED HER TO COME BACK WITH
POODLE, SHE’S SUPER CURLY.
>> Reporter: BUT SHE’S ALSO PART
CHIHUAHUA AND MINIATURE
PINSCHER.
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS A GUESS THAT
WAS MADE?
I DIDN’T KNOW HOW ACCURATE THEY
WERE?
I REALLY DIDN’T BELIEVE IT.
>> Reporter: NOT ONLY THAT, EACH
TEST SHOWED A DIFFERENT BREED
BREAKDOWN AND SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT
MEDICAL INFORMATION, TOO.
BOTH SAID PENNY HAD A POTENTIAL
EYE CONDITION AND ONE SAID SHE
WAS A CARRIER AND THE OTHER SAID
SHE HAD IT.
SO WE DECIDED TO TAKE PENNY’S
RESULTS UP TO THE SMALL ANIMAL
HOSPITAL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
FLORIDA IN GAINESVILLE.
>> SUPER MUTT IS KIND OF MIXED
HERITAGE.
>> Reporter: WE TALKED WITH THE
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AUDREY
KELMAN, A VETERINARIAN WHO IS AN
EXPERT AT GENETICS.
>> CAN PET OWNERS TRUST THESE
RESULTS?
>> I WOULD SAY OVERALL, YES,
THEY CAN BE TRUSTED.
>> Reporter: THEY’RE NOT LEGALLY
BINDING WHEN IT COMES TO BREED
TYPES BUT SHE SAYS THE
INFORMATION CAN BE VERY USEFUL
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE
MEDICAL INFORMATION THEY
PROVIDE.
>> THEY BOTH SAID, YES, SHOW HAS
A GENE THAT IS -- PUTS HER AT
RISK OF THAT DISEASE.
ONE JUST SAID AT RISK, ONE SAID
CARRIER.
AGAIN THEY WERE MEANING SAYING
SOMETHING SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AND
PERHAPS MEANING THE EXACT SAME
THING.
>> THE DOCTOR SAYS THE MINOR
DIFFERENCES YOU SEE BETWEEN THE
EMBARK TEST AND THE WISDOM PANEL
TEST ARE JUST THAT, MINOR.
>> SHE’S MY GIRL.
>> Reporter: AND THAT MAKES ERIN
FEEL GOOD ABOUT SPENDING THE
EXTRA MONEY ON PENNY.
>> IF THE RESULTS I’M GETTING
ARE ACCURATE, I TOTALLY THINK
THE TESTS ARE WORTH IT.
>> Reporter: A SPOKESPERSON FROM
EMBARK SAYS THEY COMPARE EACH
TEST AGAINST SAMPLES FROM KNOWN
CARRIERS AND AT RISK DOGS AND
HAVE THE RESULTS EXAMINED BY A
TEAM OF GENTLEMEN NET --
DOCTORS.
BUT BOTH GIVE THE SAME OVERALL
PICTURES.
>> Lisa: WHICH IS THE SAME FOR
HUMANS.
WE’VE DONE SOME BUT THERE ARE
SOME DIFFERENCES.
>> Matt: COME ON, THE BREEDS?
COME ON.
>> Reporter: PRICE RAIN CHANCES ARE AS LOW AS $30 IF YOU WANT THE BREED AND UP TO $30 IF YOU
WANT THE MEDICAL TESTS.
I’LL TELL YOU IF LOCAL BREEDERS
WANT THE TESTS AND IF THEY USE
THEM.