American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation Inc

Programs: Biomedical research is measured by the contribution of a given project or group of like projects to the greater understanding of the disease(s) under study. One tangible measurement of this contribution is through peerreviewed publication of results from akc canine health foundationfunded research. Such publications are accessible to all researchers in the field and the public. Each publication becomes a stepping stone on a path to solving problems and meeting the unmet medical needs for canine health. In 2017, the akc canine health foundation saw our funded research, across program areas and especially in canine cancer and comparative oncology, epilepsy, neurology, and infectious diseases, published in such high impact scientific journals as proceedings of the national academy of sciences (pnas), journal of veterinary internal medicine, aging, animal behaviour, veterinary surgery, journal of the american veterinary medical association, plos genetics, bmc genetics, and journal of comparative pathology. Akc canine health foundationfunded researchers published articles in peerreviewed journals that have a broad reach to the public, veterinarians and scientists, and enhance understanding on the state of any given disease condition. Publication topics included canine cancer, aging, behavior, genetics, neurology, degenerative myelopathy, blood groups, orthopedic disease including cruciate ligament rupture, and epilepsy.

the akc canine health foundation endeavors to provide funding and education to invest in and train the next generation of researchers for canine health. One way we achieve this is through the akc canine health foundation clinicianscientist fellowship program. Four such fellowships were awarded in 2017 to advance training in canine health research at the university of californiadavis, johns hopkins university, university of pennsylvania, and texas a & m university. Also, the akc/akc canine health foundation/theriogenology foundation residency training program continued support for four clinical residents training in theriogenology at us schools of veterinary medicine in 2017, including at the university of pennsylvania and ohio state university, auburn university and north carolina state university.

as part of its mission, the akc canine health foundation aims to educate all dog owners and communicate research discoveries that help prevent, treat, and cure canine diseases. In 2017, one major donor concern is tickborne disease, a group of diseases that can be devastating to both dogs and people. In addition to the new grants funded in 2017 to fight tickborne diseases including hepatozoonosis, lyme disease and ehrlichiosis, funding for improved infectious disease diagnostics and mechanisms of inflammation will help dog owners and their veterinarians better diagnose and treat their dogs. News about this work in canine tickborne disease was disseminated to reach a wide public audience. Chf also held 4 live webinars for the dog owner and veterinarian, covering epilepsy, genetic diseases, fitness, and new advances in cancer research. The foundation hosted a biennial three day educational conference on the state of canine health and new research findings resulting from foundation funding. Additionally, employees attended many dog shows, events and educational conferences to promote and increase awareness of 1) the foundation and our mission and 2) the wealth of information and resources the foundation has made available to the public