Paw Print Genetics™ is a clinical laboratory dedicated to screening and diagnosis of genetic diseases and carrier states for all dogs. In deciding to start my second company, I engaged the help of my family members. My husband needed to be agreeable to investing (emotionally and financially) in another (yes, another) clinical laboratory. But this time, it would be ours and we could make the decisions, good or bad; we would be responsible for its successes and possible failures. After convincing him that Paw Print Genetics™ is a great idea, we started doing our homework. It is important to know the market. Our market is dog lovers; not a small market. They include owners, breeders, trainers, veterinarians and all the dogs that they breed, train and sell. Every dog deserves optimal genetic health.
Next came the science. Our staff spent months identifying the known genetic mutations in dogs and developing tests to accurately identify whether a dog is normal, a carrier or affected with these diseases. Some may ask “What does a human geneticist know about canine genetics?” Compared to the human medical literature, I was surprised how little is known about canine genetic diseases. The opportunities to make a ...