Canine Health Foundation

The mission of the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF)  is to develop significant resources for basic and applied health research, with emphasis on canine genetics, to improve the quality of life for dogs and their owners.  The Foundation supports research programs that study the causes of canine disease in order to prevent those diseases and to formulate effective treatments.  The FBDCA has a Donor Advised Fund under the CHF tax-free umbrella, so that donations made to our DAF are tax-deductible.  Please visit the CHF website at www.akcchf.org for more information about this vital organization of which the FBDCA has been a supporter and member since 1995.

The FBDCA Health & Genetics Committee represents the club to the AKC Canine Health Foundation by:     
• Sending a committee member to the biennial CHF Parent Club Health Conference.   
• Managing the CHF French Bulldog Donor Advised Fund by raising money through our Memorial Fund and with the annual CHF Art Auction at the National Specialty.      
• Working with the CHF in making recommendations to the FBDCA as to funding of research proposals dealing with health issues of importance to French Bulldogs, based on information gained in health surveys.




The French Bulldog Donor Advised Fund of the Canine Health Foundation was established in 1998 by a vote of the general membership.  Its purpose is to fund research aimed at improving the health and lives of French Bulldogs.  The FBDCA Health and Genetics Committee represents the FBDCA to the CHF, and is one of several groups involved in the granting process.  This is a deliberative process that involves much time and many people, many of whom volunteer their time on an unpaid basis.

Here is how research grants are awarded.
•  Parent clubs conduct a health survey to determine the major problems in their breeds, and  the relative frequencies of these.  (The FBDCA did this in 1991 and again in 2000, with the results in 2000 being very similar to those obtained in the earlier survey.  A new online survey is planned soon to try to determine whether there have been any changes in our breed's health issues.)  
•  The CHF requests input from each club’s health/genetics committee every two years as to health issues of interest to each club, based on their survey results.
•  The CHF then sends requests for research proposals addressing the health concerns of the parent clubs to veterinary schools and research institutions worldwide.  Specific topics are listed that have been found to be of fairly broad interest for numerous breeds as well as very breed-specific ones.
•  Scientists at those institutions prepare research proposals in response to the requests and submit them to the CHF.
•  The CHF identifies outside scientists to serve as peer reviewers with expertise in the research areas proposed, and sends each proposal to reviewers for evaluation.     The reviewers send their reviews of the proposals to the CHF.
•  Parent clubs are contacted to determine their interest in any breed-specific research proposals received and favorably reviewed by the peer reviewers (based on the criteria listed below).  The Health and Genetics committee considers the proposals, and then makes a recommendation to the FBDCA Board if they feel that a proposal would be one that our club should support.

The CHF Board of Directors allocates available funds to recommended grants, basing its decisions on which proposals to fund based on scientific merit (as reported by peer reviewers) and on the relevance of the research to advancing the overall health of dogs and/or advancing the health of a specific breed or breeds of dog.  They also consider the potential of the research to produce usable results, or produce information that could help breeders produce healthier dogs.  

The criteria used by peer reviewers in evaluating research proposals for scientific merit include:
•  Research plan.           
        Is the proposed research original and significant?           
        Are the proposed research methods suitable?          
        Are the research objectives clear and feasible?           
        What are the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal?           
        Will any animals involved be treated humanely?

•  Investigators           
        What are their academic qualifications?           
        How is their previous work related to the current proposal?           
        What are their past research accomplishments?           
        What percent of their time will be allocated to this project?

•  Facilities and equipment
        Do the investigators have adequate space and materials to conduct the proposed                 research?      
        Budget:  is it well-thought out, reasonable,  and appropriate to the research proposed?





To make a memorial donation in memory or in honor of a dog or a person, send it to:

 
Please include the following information:

Donor’s name_________________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________
City___________________________________State________ Zip________________
Telephone ____________ Fax ___________ e-mail ___________________________
  

Amount of donation: ________________
Please designate my gift to: FBDCA French Bulldog Donor Advised Fund

Credit Card Number: ___________________________________________________
Type: _____________Expires: _____________ CID # (3 digit security code) _______



This donation is made: ______ in honor of   or _______in memory of:  _____________________________________________________________________
 
Please send memorial acknowledgement to:
Name_________________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________
City________________________________State___________ Zip________________