WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE our collaboration with Cornell University to create the Cornell Margaret and Richard Riney Canine Health Center at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Our gift to Cornell will build on its program’s current strengths, endowing a significant internal grants program within the Center for canine health-related research with particular emphasis on studying cancer, genetics and genomics, infectious diseases and immunology. The Canine Health Center also has a public engagement component and is expected to become a leading resource for pet lovers to find trusted, research-based information about dogs.

 

We wish for a world where animals are treated with kindness, respect and, hopefully, love. We have supported animal welfare and rescue efforts for years and have tremendous admiration for those working globally for rescue and shelter operations. We wanted our Foundation to have a broader impact in addition to these grassroots efforts. In internal discussions, we produced two principles: education and research. We believe that education can encourage the humane treatment of animals. We believe that pet owners are eager to learn about and care for their pets and that they would benefit from access to trusted resources in that journey. We also believe that research, done well, can provide significant advancements in animal healthcare.  

 

Seeking to make grants that are both impactful and aligned with our giving principles, we were inspired by Cornell University’s plans to bring together its diverse resources to support a center within the College of Veterinary Medicine that furthers the health and well-being of dogs. We were attracted by the possibility of supporting research initiatives that can help dogs live longer, healthier and happier lives. We also know that canine research can, in turn, bring about tremendous advancements in human health and are hopeful that these projects will transform lives of dogs, and their owners, for years to come. 

 

One of the leading veterinary colleges worldwide with more than 50 researchers working on canine health-related research across many departments, Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is uniquely equipped to accommodate the Margaret and Richard Riney Canine Health Center. Along with clinicians at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, the Cornell Veterinary Biobank and diagnosticians at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center, the University has the breadth of expertise and infrastructure to conduct and apply research at all levels, from basic discoveries to translational and clinical research to delivering treatments.

 

For further information, please see www.canine.vet.cornell.edu.