Category: BioPet Vet Lab

BioPet Vet Lab introduces tiered-pricing options for DNA Proof of Parentage

Posted by Ryan Willis – January 17, 2012

Knoxville, Tenn. – BioPet Vet Lab, a leading DNA animal testing laboratory, is helping DNA Proof of Parentage testing become an industry standard in the competitive world of dog breeding and dog shows. The company’s unveiling of new retail pricing structures of up to 80% less than traditional DNA testing services provides an affordable option for large clubs and individual breeders alike. 

“In the past year, BioPet Vet Lab representatives have traveled around the globe to talk about our DNA Proof of Parentage Test,” said Tom Boyd, CEO of BioPet Vet Lab. “We also used these discussions to find out from dog clubs and professionals what they needed in order to implement a successful DNA proof of parentage program.” 

“Not surprisingly, cost of the testing was the most frequently cited obstacle,” said Boyd.

Armed with input from the breeders and clubs, BioPet Vet Lab representatives returned to the company’s headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a goal to develop a testing program capable of meeting customer needs and becoming an industry standard. 

By improving efficiency and reducing labor costs, the DNA Proof of Parentage Test managed by BioPet Vet Lab can now be available in a two-week turnaround time for less than $10 per test. The new DNA Proof of Parentage Test offers a significantly more affordable option, especially for breeders and clubs with the need to register multiple dogs. 

Testing is easily completed with owners collecting DNA samples from parent dogs and their litter. Two weeks after the samples are forwarded to the company laboratory, the owner receives a password and entry key to a DNA World Pet Registry database where the dog’s status can be certified. Testing is only needed once per dog. Once a dog is registered its information stays in the database, further reducing testing expenses. 

Testing kits and services are available at different price points based on the number of tests an individual or organization needs to conduct in a year. Testing kits include all materials necessary for DNA extraction and sample collection. 

“By listening to club officials and breeders, we believe BioPet Vet Lab is better equipped to provide a standardized DNA certification process worldwide at a cost that does not exclude smaller organizations and programs,” said Boyd. “Participating in our standardized DNA Proof of Parentage Program gives organizations of all sizes an opportunity to affordably differentiate themselves from organizations who do not provide the guarantee of DNA testing.” 

The testing service does not identify a dog’s breed or breeds within a dog’s lineage. The testing is intended only to make familial matches. For additional information about pricing and testing, visit the BioPet Vet Lab website at www.dnaproofofparentage.com or call toll-free at (866) 883-7389.

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About BioPet Vet Lab:  BioPet Vet Lab is an animal DNA testing laboratory located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The company’s mission is to offer quality DNA testing services at an affordable price with timely turnaround and friendly, professional customer service. BioPet continues to explore genetic science in order to offer more DNA services that can benefit pet organizations and pet owners. For more information on BioPet Vet Lab, visit their website at www.biopetvetlab.com. 

About DNA World Pet Registry: The DNA World Pet Registry is a hosted Pet Management System that uses an animal’s unique genetic makeup as a basis of membership. The Registry’s services are available to the everyday pet owner as well as businesses, clubs or organizations that want to offer DNA testing services to their customers or members. For additional information about the DNA World Pet Registry, visit their website at http://www.dnawpr.com/.

Media Contact:
Ryan Willis
(865) 584-0550
rwillis@ackermannpr.com

Former Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist joins BioPet Vet Lab Board of Directors

Posted by admin – June 28, 2011

Knoxville, Tenn. – BioPet Vet Lab, a biotechnology company specializing in canine genetic testing, is pleased to announce that former Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist has joined its Board of Directors.

BioPet, a Knoxville, Tenn., based company, has recently launched their franchise program for PooPrints™, a product designed to promote responsible pet ownership and address one of the world’s growing environmental problems.  Governor Sundquist’s experience in dealing with the government will be a great plus to BioPet Vet Lab as they move forward with the PooPrints™ franchise program.

Governor Sundquist served as governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003.  He also served as US representative from 1982 to 1994.  Presently he is a Partner at Sundquist Anthony LLC, Director at Howard Baker Center for Public Policy – University of Tennessee, Advisory Board Member at ICCF (International Conservation Caucus Foundation), and Governors Board of Director, among several other board appointments.  In addition, he remains active in his consulting firm in Washington, DC.

Over the past 30 years, the canine population in the United States has doubled to more than 78 million pets.  Records show that up to 40% of dog owners do not pick up the droppings, creating an increasingly negative environmental impact.  Consumer Reports survey in 2010 has shown that the nuisance from this is now ranked no.6 on their list of “America’s Top Gripes,” right below unreliable internet service.  The greater impact, however, occurs when the droppings wash into lakes, rivers, and streams, bringing a host of bacteria with them.  Because of this, the EPA now ranks the pollution problem in the same health category as toxic chemicals and oil entering the water supply.

Eric Mayer, Director of Franchise Development at BioPet, states that the EPA lists pet waste management at the top of their guidelines for Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations, and that there have been several reports recently of lakes and rivers closing from ground seepage.  He further states the general public does not understand the very real health and environmental risks that dog waste poses.  As an example, each dog dropping carries approximately 3 billion fecal coliform bacteria including Salmonella and E.coli.  Exposure to these microbes not only causes fish kills, but can also transfer from dog-to-dog, and dog-to-human.

BioPet views PooPrints™ as the responsible answer to solving these environmental and health problems.  Government regulation related to pet waste management will soon be implemented on a large scale, as many cities and towns currently have these ordinances on the books.

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About BioPet Vet Lab:  BioPet Vet Lab is an animal DNA testing laboratory located in Knoxville, Tennessee. BioPet’s research and development group explores genetic science in order to offer new tests that can be used to improve the healthcare and quality of life for our beloved pets. For additional information about BioPet Vet Lab, visit their website at www.biopetvetlab.com.

Media Contact:
Jeff Hooper
Ackermann PR                                     
(865) 584-0550
jhooper@ackermannpr.com

Knoxville-based BioPet Vet Lab featured on This American Life

Posted by Erin Freeman – November 22, 2010

Fans of the public radio program This American Life had a chance this weekend to hear Ira Glass conduct an interview centering around BioPet Vet Lab’s innovative way of using DNA technology to address an unpleasant problem.

Deb Logan, a property manager at a pet-friendly apartment complex in New Hampshire, describes gleefully how Poo Prints has helped improve the commitment from pet owners to clean up after their dogs and bring peace to the community.

The complete show is available for listening below. The 14 minute segment featuring Poo Prints from BioPet Vet Lab begins at the 16 minute mark in a chapter entitled, “Witness for the Poo-secution.”

Science is a new tool to get pet owners to clean up their act

Posted by admin – October 7, 2010

Knoxville, Tenn. – It may be surprising to know that some of the fiercest battle lines in civic dialogue are being drawn around the matter of dog poop. Words, and more unpleasant items, are being flung between neighbors, homeowners association boards, apartment community residents and managers, community leaders, environmentalists, park advocates, and others. People are passionate about the subject and evidence of the need to clean-up behind our pets is piling up like so much of the waste Fido and his friends deposit on a daily basis.

“The problem of pet owners not picking up after their pets is tearing apart communities,” says BioPet Vet Lab CEO Tom Boyd. “It’s no wonder that Consumer Reports lists ‘dog poop’ as one of the nation’s top ten personal gripes. We used our research in animal DNA identification systems to help provide community leaders with a tool to bring peace back to the neighborhood.”

BioPet Vet Lab, an industry leader in DNA-related pet services, knows a product with a name like PooPrints™ is going to generate a few giggles. And, that’s fine with them as long as it opens the doors to a conversation about a serious problem in communities across the globe. PooPrints™ is a dog DNA identification program from BioPet Vet Lab built on a solid scientific foundation, providing communities with a means to enforce community regulations for pet waste clean-up.

Dog waste is more than an aesthetic issue. Yes, the stuff is underfoot quite a bit. In the United States alone, the nation’s 73 million dogs generate approximately 6.3 billion pounds of waste annually. Approximately 40%, or 2.5 billion pounds, is never picked up by owners. Indeed, dog feces is a bacterial breeding ground of diseases that are especially dangerous to children and others with weakened immune systems. Toxocara canis, a roundworm found in dog waste, is especially dangerous to children and can cause blindness. Meanwhile, Researchers are tracking how unclaimed dog waste is eventually being washed from green spaces to storm drains, arriving untreated at the closest waterway. In the past decade, E. coli bacteria from dog droppings have been identified as significant sources of pollution in rivers, parks, and regional watersheds.

In light of this, apartment community management, homeowners associations, and other communities struggle with providing a welcoming environment to pet owners and maintaining vigilance against the few irresponsible owners who turn shared community space into a biohazard site, endangering the health and safety of their neighbors.

Debbie Logan, a property manager at Twin Ponds Development in Nashua, New Hampshire, has been on the front lines of the dog poop debates.

“Even though we provide pet stations and dog playgrounds,” said Logan, “we quickly learned that a small percentage of our residents were not cleaning up after their pets. As an extremely popular community with pet lovers, a small percentage of violators could quickly ruin it for the responsible residents. After much research we found the ideal solution with BioPet’s PooPrints™ program.”

PooPrints™ is a dog DNA identification program from BioPet Vet Lab built on a solid scientific foundation, providing communities with a means to enforce pooper scooper regulations in multifamily communities.

Communities such as Twin Ponds are requiring pet owners to register their pets in the PooPrints DNA database. Offending waste left unpicked up is collected and analyzed. When a DNA match is discovered, the community has the evidence needed to warn or fine the pet owner.

Success has come early for the community at Twin Ponds. Within the first four samples tested, two violators were quickly identified.

According to Logan, “The program is just fantastic for us. It was easy to implement and everybody wins. We are spending less time looking for violators and residents have a clean, healthy community.”

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About BioPet Vet Lab:  BioPet Vet Lab is an animal DNA testing laboratory located in Knoxville, Tennessee. BioPet’s research and development group explores genetic science in order to offer new tests that can be used to improve the healthcare and quality of life for our beloved pets. For additional information about BioPet Vet Lab, visit their website at www.biopetvetlab.com.

Media Contacts                                 
Shane Rhyne                                       
Ackermann PR                        
(865) 584-0550                                  
srhyne@ackermannpr.com