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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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When Maggie Wright's family adopted Jake from the Burnett Humane Society in January, they thought they had a good idea of what breed of dog he was.
"According to the shelter, he was picked up as a stray around the shelter," Wright told Newsweek. "Jake is 3 years old. We thought he was an American bull terrier or a mutt of some sort."
Jake's adoption was primarily thanks to Wright's brother, Rene, who had been asking about him since he first saw the dog at the Wisconsin shelter.
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But when the family decided to DNA test Jake through Embark, the results surprised them: Jake is 100 percent American Pit Bull Terrier.
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Doggy DNA testing
Dog DNA testing kits have become increasingly popular for pet owners, offering an at-home solution to finding out your pup's ancestry, with some people even holding DNA reveal parties for their pets.
Future Market Insights reports that the pet DNA testing market is projected to grow from $419.48 million in 2025 to $916.43 million by 2035.
As well as offering information about dog breeds, the kits also help owners discover canine "relatives" and even screen for genetic health risks, drug sensitivities and inherited traits.
"We DNA tested him to see if we could get more information on him. We were able to find relatives and see some of his history, which is more than we had," Wright said.
Internet reacts
She shared the results on Reddit's r/DoggyDNA subreddit with the playful caption: "Whelp, we were wrong."
In the comments on Reddit, people shared their reactions. One user, oldfarmjoy, wrote: "I was going to guess pit, pit, and pit."
Another, Key-Magazine-8731, added: "Wow, no American Bulldog? That's wild. That's the most American bulldog looking pit I have ever seen."
Others simply admired Jake himself. Redditor jackieO2023 commented: "Jake is 100% adorable! I love him!!"
The family laughed at the responses, especially since several commenters noted Jake's uncanny resemblance to Chance, the pit bull character in the 1993 film Homeward Bound.
For the Wright family, the DNA results may have confirmed Jake's breed, but they also deepened their bond with their rescue pup.
"Now we know who he is," Wright said. "But to us, Jake has always just been Jake."
This isn't the first time a dog DNA test result has surprised a pet owner. Earlier this month an owner shared how a DNA test connected two siblings born years apart.
While another owner was convinced they had a border collie puppy, only to get the results of a DNA test and discover the truth was very different.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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