A new DC rule calls for unidentified dog mixes to be called Xoloitzcuintli.
Not sure what kind of dog you have – other than, of course, loveable?
If you live in Washington D.C., identifying your dog to the District’s health department just got easier, sort of.
A new list of dog registration rules requires that instead of describing your pet’s breed as a “mix” you must now enter it as “Xoloitzcuintli.
No, they didn’t make the word up - it’s another name for the Mexican Hairless.
Why the city prefers that non-Mexican Hairless dogs be classed as such is unknown.
A letter sent explaining the new rules did say breed information will be “used only to help us get the dog home to you if your pet becomes lost.”
A Health Department worker couldn’t say exactly why the Latin American breed was chosen, but did offer that owners should at least venture a guess as to their pet’s actual breed.
Pronunciation difficulties aside, they could have picked a worse one. The Mexican Hairless bloodline goes back to the Aztecs, who prized the breed and named it after their god of lightening and death. The dog was believed to possess healing properties for both the mind and spirit.
