AKC Canine Health Foundation opens the door to better health for purebred
dogs
New grants announced; new board members appointed
Introduction
For many years, the American Kennel Club has backed research into canine diseases.
Early efforts included money for the Genetic Disease Information System, a database
for veterinarians developed at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1980s;
for research that resulted in a vaccine for parvovirus; and for the canine genome
project at University of Michigan. Last year, AKC chartered the Canine Health
Foundation to coordinate its efforts in health research and to open doors for
partnerships between breed clubs, the foundation, and research scientists.
AKC endowed the foundation with $1 million.
"Responding to the health concerns of owners and breeders is a primary concern
of the Canine Health Foundation," said foundation president and AKC board member
Dr. Robert Hritzo as he announced a $7500 grant to study hypothyroidism and
autoimmune thyroid disease at the University of California-Davis.
"Hypothyroidism is the highest-ranked health issue of national breed clubs,"
Hritzo said. "This grant presents an excellent opportunity to contribute to
our knowledge about this disease."
The money will fund a two-day international symposium to bring together researchers
who are involved in study of the disorder and to gain insight into future research.
Topics discussed will include the genetic implications of the disease and its
dermatologic, neurologic, and reproductive effects. A lay paper addressing these
issues will be one of the products of the conference.
Grants have also been awarded for studies of bloat at Purdue University in
Indiana and progressive retinal atrophy at Cornell University's Baker Institute
in New York.
Dr. Lawrence Glickman will head the bloat study at Purdue. Cosponsored by the
CHF, Morris Animal Foundation, and the Irish Setter Club of America, the study
will focus on morphometric, genetic, and dietary risk factors for bloat.
The initial study will use four breeds - Great Dane, Irish Setter, Saint Bernard,
and Standard Poodle, all identified at high risk for bloat. The cost of gathering
and analyzing information for each breed is about $5000. The CHF will provide
up to 50 percent of the cost for breeds added to the study by the researcher.
The progressive retinal atrophy study is a partnership between the American
Miniature Schnauzer Club, the Baker Institute, and the CHF. The project will
research the genetic component of a type of PRA found in the breed.
Cost of the project over three years will be about $175,000. Miniature Schnauzer
clubs have raised $87,500 to cover their portion of the costs. The CHF will
manage the grant funds and monitor the progress of the study.
This agreement is being used as a model for a program under development at
CHF that will coordinate breed club participation in research studies that will
benefit their dogs.
Founders fund at CHF
The Mahoning-Shenango Kennel Club became the first all-breed club to join the
CHF Founders Fund with its $5000 first installment on a $10,000 gift. The first
breed parent club donation to the fund was an anonymous gift of $25,000 on behalf
of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America.
The club is located in the Shenango Valley region of northeast Ohio and northwestern
Pennsylvania. The club's 58 members will each receive a Founder's Fund pin;
the club's name will appear in each annual report of the CHF and will be inscribed
on a plaque in the new AKC offices in North Carolina.
New board members
Experienced dog breeders Alexander Fraser Draper and John A. Studebaker are
new members of the CHF Board of Directors. Both men also have extensive business
experience in nonprofit organization administration and a deep interest in canine
health.
Draper, a Collie breeder and judge of Collies, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, and Shetland
Sheepdogs, is co-founder of the Collie Club of America Foundation, the country's
first foundation devoted solely to advancing the health of purebred dogs. He
has also been an administrator at the American Geographical Society and the
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
Studebaker has been a student of animal husbandry and genetics since he earned
his undergraduate degree in agriculture at Ohio State University. He served
as president and chief executive officer of Agrigenetics Seed Company and president
of the American Seed Research Foundation. A Samoyed breeder, he also has extensive
experience studying and judging livestock.
The two men join Hritzo, board secretary John Mandeville, Wayne Cavanaugh,
Dr. James Edwards, Robert Kelly, Elysabeth Higgins, and Dr. Asa Mays on the
CHF board.
CHF also has a science advisory committee to make recommendations for grant
allocation to new research projects. This committee includes:
- Dr. Gustavo Aguirre, professor of ophthalmology, Baker Institute, College
of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University;
- Dr. George Brewer, professor of human genetics and internal medicine, University
of Michigan;
- Dr. Linda Cook, professor and chair, department of comparative medicine,
Stamford University;
- Dr. Stephen J. O'Brien, chief, laboratory of viral carcinogenesis, National
Cancer Institute;
- Dr. Donald E. Patterson, chief, section of medical genetics, School of Veterinary
Medicine, University of Pennsylvania;
- Dr. Lawrence B. Schook, professor and chair, department of veterinary pathobiology,
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota,
- Dr. Joe W. Templeton, professor of genetics and veterinary pathobiology,
College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A & M University.
Goals
The mission of the AKC Canine Health Foundation is to develop significant resources
for basic and applied health programs with emphasis on canine genetics to improve
the quality of life for dogs and their owners.
The goals for achieving that mission are:
- to help dogs live longer, healthier lives;
- to respect the dedication and interests of dog clubs, breeders, and owners
in canine health and continuously seek ways to involve them in the work of
the foundation;
- to identify health issues of concern to dog owners and breeders;
- to identify and sponsor programs of research and education, with particular
emphasis on canine genetics;
- to seek ways to integrate the observations and knowledge of dog owners,
breeders, veterinarians, and other scientists for the purpose of advancing
the health of dogs;
- to responsibly monitor grantees and make the results of their work available
for public use through publication in scientific journals and through dissemination
of information and education with dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians;
- to raise and invest endowment funds for the foundation's programs.
Want to help?
Dog owners, breeders, and health care professionals can spread the word about
the CHF through materials provided by the foundation and by scheduling presentations
for clubs and organizations. Volunteer opportunities are available for those
who would like to share their expertise in the field.
Individuals, clubs, and organizations can also donate money to the fund or
can help raise matching funds for a project through their breed clubs. Those
who donate $10,000 or more can join the Founder's Fund for special recognition
for their efforts.
(The AKC has more information at Canine health foundation)
By Norma Bennett Woolf
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