Funding boost for dog health and welfare projects
More than £1.9 million has been invested by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust into projects that improve dog health and welfare since 2017, the organisation has announced.
Some £1.5 million of this funding was used to support clinical research into dog health and diseases. Projects that have received funding in recent years include the Kennel Club Cancer Centre at the Animal Health Trust (AHT), the Brachycephalic Obstruction Airway Syndrome research group, and a study of canine T-cell lymphoma at the University of Cambridge.
“We are very grateful to the Kennel Club Charitable Trust for providing funding for our project which has a real potential to hopefully make a better test for canine lymphoma in the not too distant future,” commented Dr Elizabeth Soilleux, leader of the T-cell lymphoma research team. "The funding substantially supported the project itself as well as the personal development of two exceptional scientists.”
The Kennel Club Charitable Trust supports dog welfare and rescue organisations, including local rescue centres dedicated to giving dogs a second chance. It also bestows an annual bursary of £6,000 to the BVNA to support veterinary nursing students. The funds cover degree fees and other costs association with learning and work placements.
“This bursary helped me to afford accommodation while studying away from home and covered travel costs during my work placement,” said Alice Theobald, one of the recipients of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust BVNA bursary. “I don’t think I’d be able to achieve all this without the extra funding and I am very grateful I had a chance to make the most of my course.”
The Kennel Club Charitable Trust says that it will continue to support dog health and welfare through funding including its long-term partnership with the AHT and other research groups, as well as supporting the education of veterinary professionals.
To find out more about the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, or to make a donation, visit: www.thekennelclub.org.uk