Mission

“For the genetic improvement of our domestic animals”

We have the knowledge; we have the technologies.  We now have the responsibility to improve the genetic health and well-being of our domestic animals.  This will take education and political will, both of which require access to current, reliable, evidence-based information.  The Labgenvet website strives to provide this information. 

History

The Labgenvet website has been available since 2015 to address a perceived lack of accessible information in Canada and particularly in Quebec concerning the simple genetic diseases of our domestic animals.  The website was created by Dr. David Silversides in collaboration with Diana Raiwet, Benoit Bouchard and Dr. Guy Labbé.  It was designed to provide a public domain source of evidence-based information on domestic animal genetics to help breeders, owners, students, veterinarians and vet technicians make informed decisions concerning the genetics of the animals they live and work with.

Impact

The Labgenvet website is freely accessible in both English and French.  Information is provided for the dog, cat, cow and horse.  Content is curated by Dr. David Silversides, at times with input from students of the Veterinary Medicine program of the University of Montreal.  Simple genetic diseases, inbreeding and colour genetics are addressed.  Clinical and molecular aspects of genetic diseases are presented, and diseases are linked and cross-referenced to specific breed mutation frequencies and to the scientific literature.  In 2025, the Labgenvet website is projected to have upwards of 225,000 visits with almost 2 million pages referenced.

To ensure unbiased content, the Labgenvet website is not affiliated with, nor sponsored by commercial interests.  The site relies on donations from users through periodic GoFundMe initiatives to generate the resources needed for website hosting and support.  Philanthropic support would be greatly appreciated to insure the independence and perennity of the site.

The Labgenvet website has been recognized by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Veterinary Journal and by the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA) website.