Rottweiler Health Foundation

Rottweiler Health Foundation Mission Statement

To raise money to fund critical research into the genetic, communicable and acquired diseases that plague our beloved breed, the Rottweiler.

www.rottweilerhealth.org

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Winter 2008

...History
...Membership Application
...Become a Member!
...Make A Donation
...Membership List
...HealthNotes Newsletter

...Grants Being Funded
...Grant Updates

...C.H.I.C.
...CHF Health Conferences
...RHF Health Survey Results
...Rottweiler Health Issues

...Circle 2000 Registry
...Memorial Registry

...RHF Store
...RHF Annual Fundraiser
...ARC Annual Top 20 Event

...American Rottweiler Club
...Canine Health Related Links
...Shared Real Stories
...Suggested Reading

...Contact Info & Board

HISTORY

The Rottweiler Health Foundation was established by the American Rottweiler Club in 1998 as a free standing charitable organization with the objective of improving the health status of the Rottweiler. It is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) Public Benefit Corporation. The mission of the RHF is facilitated by officers and directors on a strictly volunteer basis.

RHF raises money through membership dues, charitable donations from individuals, estates and corporation, fund raising efforts, and memorial contributions. It then makes grants to worthy projects which will benefit dogs in general and the Rottweiler in particular.

The membership of RHF is comprised of individual members, including Charter Members, and local and regional Specialty clubs, as well as the National Parent Club for Rottweilers, The American Rottweiler Club. A newsletter "HealthNotes" is mailed to the national based membership on a timely basis.

RHF Goals and Objectives

To foster and promote the public's knowledge and appreciation of dogs in general and Rottweilers in particular.
To further the understanding of the diseases, defects, injuries and other ailments that afflict dogs and Rottweilers in particular.
To support and promote study of and research on the history, character, breeding, genetics and particular health problems of Rottweilers.
To establish a national database of resource materials about Rottweilers.
To produce, publish and distribute to the general public educational materials about the proper care, treatment, breeding, health development and training of Rottweilers.
Identify the types and prevalence of health problems affecting the Rottweiler.
Identify quality researchers in major disease focus areas.
Direct the organizations efforts to fund appropriate research projects.

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In the year 2000, the RHF Health Survey Committee sponsored an inclusive general health survey to determine the frequency of specific health problems affecting the breed. This national survey was conducted and reported on by Dr. Margaret Slater, Dept. Veterinary Anatomy and Public Health, Texas A & M University.

To date, RHF has funded grants for cancer and hip dysplasia research. It is a contributing member of the Canine Health Foundation Parent Club Partner Program, and has donated and/or pledged funds to the following four health research grants. One conducted by George J. Brewer, MD, University of Michigan Medical School, proposes to identify through DNA testing, the genetic cause of canine hip dysplasia. The other three funds deal with canine cancer. Two of these studies are in progress by Jaime Modiano, VMD, PhD at AMC Cancer Center, Denver, Colorado and Stuart Helfand, DVM at the University of Wisconsin. A third study by Robert Dunstan, DVM is in the fund accrual process. The goal of Dr. Modiano's study is to determine the frequency of mutations in tumor suppressor genes (PTEN). Dr. Helfand seeks to develop a genetic test for screening dogs for mutations that lead to increased production of tumor growth factors (VEGE). Dr. Dunstan's study focuses on lymphosarcoma (comprising 20 percent of all canine cancers) and the identification of chromosome abnormalities associated with the disease. This work can lead to further development of novel treatment therapies and "will help to investigate the correlation between the genetic etiologies in dogs with those in humans," as reported by Doreen J. LePage, Research Coordinator for RHF and Rottweiler Liaison to the Canine Health Foundation.

In 2001, the RHF Board voted to continue to fund Dr. Jaime Modiano's study on "Significance of Tumor Suppressor Genes in Canine Cancer" for $30,000 over three years. RHF's most recent grant was made in early 2002 to support research studies of search and rescue dogs. The University of Pennsylvania study "Medical Surveillance of Dogs Deployed to the World Trade Center and the Pentagon" is under the direction of Cynthia M. Otto, DVM, PhD, DACVECC. The Animal Medical Center study "Assessment of Injuries, Environmental Toxins and Anthrax Exposure in NYPD Search and Rescue and Bob Detection Canines During World Trade Center Relief Efforts" has a principle investigator, Philip R. Fox, DVM, MSc, Director Caspary Research Institute, The Animal Medical Center.