FINDLAY, Ohio, March 4 (UPI) -- A U.S. biologist says he suspects the family dog might not only be a friendly companion, but could also be a reflection of community health.
University of Findlay Associate Professor Michael Edelbrock says dogs respond to toxicity much as do humans, so he is researching the possibility that the environmental factors affecting dogs in a defined geographical area might also affect humans.
"The questions are endless," he said. "We could look at environmental differences such as smoking versus non-smoking homes, rural versus urban animals, and eventually compare results from different cities."
Edelbrock says if consistencies are found in the dogs' cells, then canines could be used to study a city's overall health and environment.
