The AKC Canine Health Foundation Celebrates 25 Years of Advancing Canine Health

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82 – July, 2020

By Sharon M. Albright, DVM, CCRT

Manager of Communications & Veterinary Outreach, AKC Canine Health Foundation

In 2020, the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) celebrates its 25th anniversary. Founded by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1995 as an independent, 501c3 non-profit organization to focus on research specifically for canine health, CHF has invested more than $56 million in research and educational grants and canine health projects. Bolstered by outstanding donor support, CHF continues to make great strides in advancing the health of all dogs.

Taking a historical walk through CHF’s research portfolio, one of the initial projects CHF completed with the support of its donors was contributing to the research and publication of the first genetic linkage map of the canine genome. Understanding the frequency with which genes tend to be linked, or passed on to offspring together, provided a valuable resource to map canine traits of interest and served as the foundation for the complete canine genome map.

Progress in the study of canine genetics continued as CHF collaborated with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals to create the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) in 2001, a database of canine health information and a repository of canine DNA available for use in health research. CHF-funded researchers discovered the genetic mutations responsible for numerous canine diseases such as cystinuria in Newfoundlands, stationary night blindness in Briards, von Willebrand Disease in several dog breeds, and more. Investigators eventually improved our understanding of complex, polygenetic diseases such as dermatomyositis in Shetland Sheepdogs and Collies. Thanks to collaboration with our donors, this work studying canine genetics and the genetic mutations associated with disease continues today.

Click here to read the complete article
82 – July, 2020

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=186549

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