When Dallas Police officers rescued a puppy they called “Toast” on February 20, Dallas Animal Services was unsure whether the puppy was a coyote or a dog and proceeded to do DNA testing to confirm.
While no one could say with certainty what kind of animal Toast was, Jacqui Sutherland, a Dallas Animal Services officer, told WFAA before the test came back that she thought the pup would be an Australian cattle dog mix.
After waiting 10-14 days for the results, we now know that Toast is a mix of German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, and Australian Cattle Dog. The exact DNA test results stated Toast was 42% German Shepherd, 38.6% Siberian Husky, and 19.4% Australian Cattle Dog.
Toast can now be put up for adoption by Dallas Animal Services now that it is confirmed that she is, in fact, a domestic canine.
Some of the main differences in the appearance of coyotes and dogs are coyotes generally look more svelte or thinner than dogs, according to Wildlife NYC. Dogs also usually have shorter legs than coyotes. Coyotes’ foreheads are flatter than dogs, and the snout of a coyote is usually pointier.
While coyotes are related to dogs, wolves are more similar to dogs in their behavior and sociability than coyotes, according to Britannica. Coyotes do not socialize as wolves and domestic dogs do. They usually live a solitary existence until they are old enough to mate.
Coyotes are believed to be the most intelligent of wild canine species, which could explain why even though humans have been trying to exterminate them for centuries, they have still survived.
If you find a stray dog, you are legally obliged to attempt to find its owner before taking the dog to a shelter. You can try looking for identification tags or walk the dog around the area in which it was found in case someone may recognize it.
You may also contact Dallas Animal Services, who will try to get the animal placed at a shelter, or you can merely notify DAS that an animal was found and post flyers with pictures of the dog.
