Supporting the Morris Animal Foundation

We are proud to be a Loyal Friend of the Morris Animal Foundation and have chosen them as one of two nonprofit organizations we support with financial donations. Why are they important to us? Read on!

The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study

Back in 2013, when our first golden retriever, Amos, was just a few months old, we learned about the Morris Animal Foundation. Our vet mentioned the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, which aimed to track a population of 3000 goldens across their lifetime. We enrolled Amos, and he became GRLS Hero #2666.

Each year, we received a study kit and booked an appointment for his study exam. During these visits, they collected information about his lifestyle, habits, nutrition, and more. They also took hair, nail, blood, and other samples. Along with the serious data collection, we also received some fun schwag like bandanas and leashes. As a young and healthy puppy, the first years were nothing too extraordinary.

The Power of Long-Term Research

It wasn’t until later, during my work at Trio Health, that I truly appreciated the power of a large study like this. Performing a controlled study over a short timespan in a lab is one thing, but doing it in the real world over many years is a huge undertaking. It requires meticulous organization to keep track of participants, ensure they complete their appointments, collect all the information and samples, and aggregate it into quality data sets.

With dogs’ shorter lifespans, the lengthy research cycle would extend beyond Amos’ and many, if not all, of the study dogs’ lifetimes. However, the answers that came from this study would benefit so many future generations of dogs. Sadly, one of the four main cancers the study focused on, hemangiosarcoma, took Amos from us very suddenly.

Amos went from being a happy-go-lucky 7-year-old golden with no issues to collapsing and being rushed to the emergency vet, where we learned his diagnosis. Investigating treatment options at CSU and other places, we realized it was too late.

A week and a few days after his first collapse, he fell again and did not make it. That night, I drove his body to CSU for the final, somewhat morbid part of his time in the study – a necropsy. While extremely upsetting, this would contribute to the study, and also make him GRLS Angel Hero #2666.

Now, eleven years after enrollment, the count has reached 500 diagnoses of the four major cancers in the study, and sadly we have seen many of the dogs become Angel Heroes. But, we have also started to see the results of this study, and this is encouraging. If you’re interested, you can learn more about the research coming out of the study here: Golden Retriever Lifetime Study (morrisanimalfoundation.org)

Benefiting All Animals

Beyond the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, what I admire about the Morris Animal Foundation is its broader scope. While our introduction was through a breed-specific study, they support all animals. Across various dog breeds, shelter dog populations, cats, horses, and wildlife, their research improves health outcomes for so many animals. By understanding health threats and working to minimize these, we can give our beloved pets and all animals longer, healthier lives.

We are proud to be a Loyal Friend of the Morris Animal Foundation and make a monthly baseline donation as a Loyal Friend of the organization, as well as contribute 1% of all sales.