Laura Moulder has a soft spot for dogs. Several years ago, she rescued a 35-pound pit bull and its litter of puppies. She found a home for all but one of the dogs, so she decided to formally adopt the puppy herself. She named him Seth.
As Seth began to grow past 35 pounds, Moulder realized that he was a different breed than his mom. His quick growth led to some health difficulties; his bones couldn’t grow fast enough to keep up with the rest of his body. Moulder’s vet recommended a DNA test, which cost Moulder around $80. The test revealed that Seth was primarily a lab, but also part boxer, husky, pit bull, great dane, chihuahua, spaniel, and possibly a few other breeds.
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“I thought ‘it’s not really fair.’ There are so many families that love their animals, but they can’t afford to do that in order to get medical care for their pets,” Moulder says.
She wanted to do something to make DNA tests for dogs more accessible and economical. So, she started formulating an idea for the mobile application Who’s My Mutter?, which helps users identify the dominant breed of their dog.
“Anybody who has a dog who may have some medical issues, they may want to know a little bit more about their pet, especially if it helps the vet diagnose a problem,” says Moulder. “Not only that, I think a lot of people get mixed breed dogs and they would just like to know what their dog is.”
Determining the dominant breed of the dog could be particularly helpful with adoptions. Potential adopters would be able to know the breed of the dog they are interested in, so they could plan ahead. “Guessing a dog’s breed is not foolproof,” says Moulder. “In Seth’s case, his mother and father weren’t even his dominate breed.”
To use Who’s My Mutter?, users must upload photos of their dog to the app. (There’s a tutorial that guides users through the process.) Right now, the app can only determine the primary breed of a dog, but Moulder hopes to develop the ability to give users information about secondary breeds, and possibly other less prominent ancestry. She also plans to develop a version for cats, as well as a feature that helps users return lost pets to their homes.
The app currently connects users with dogs available for adoption within a 50-mile radius of the user’s location. The app pulls the information from adoption websites, but shelters can also log in and update their available animals manually. “It promotes rescues and shelters all around the world,” says Moulder.
Overall, she says she’s received good feedback on the app. “People seem really interested in learning more about their pets. It’s even come up with a few breeds I’ve never heard of before.”
Who’s My Mutter is available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for $4.99.
