"Generous donors concerned about canine health led the way to the most successful year ever for the AKC Canine Health Foundation" according to foundation president Dr. Robert Hritzo.

Donations will exceed $1 million for 1999. In November and December alone, the Bichon Frisé Club of America and the Rottweiler Health Foundation led the way by donating more than $10,000 each, and Ralston Purina kicked in $90,00 for canine health education.

Other big donors were: the Agility Ability Club of Illinois, Davis Dog Training Club, Greater Kingsport Kennel Club in Tennessee, Harrisburg Kennel Club in Pennsylvania, Progressive Dog Club in Michigan, the Virginia Beach Kennel Club, the American Sealyham Terrier Club, the Westie Foundation of America, Somerset Hills Kennel Club in New Jersey, and the Basset Hound Club of America.

Donations were also received from the Chase Manhattan Matching Gift Program. Also donating in the last months of 1999 were the Alaskan Malamute Research Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Shetland Sheepdog Club, Keeshond Club of America, Samoyed Club of America Education and Health Foundation, Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America, Chihuahua Club of America, Irish Setter Club America, Beaumont Kennel Club of Texas, Blackhawk Kennel Club of Illinois, Bushy Run Kennel Club, Evergreen Colorado Kennel Club, Galveston County Kennel Club of Texas, Greenwich Kennel Club of Connecticut, Kenilworth Kennel Club of Connecticut, and the Mad River Valley Kennel Club of Ohio.

The donations fund dozens of research efforts into the canine genome project and studies to find causes and cures for diseases such as bloat, kidney disease, progressive retinal atrophy, cystinuria, epilepsy, liver disease, eye disease, Shar-Pei fever, muscular disease, Boxer cardiomyopathy, heart disease, autoimmune disease, von Willebrand's disease, skin disease, hypothyroidism, cancer, deafness, vaccine immunity, cataracts in the Bichon Frise, intervertebral disc disease, craniomandibular osteopathy (CMO), hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD), muscular disease, pancreatic insufficiency, elbow dysplasia, heart disease, Addison's disease, hip dysplasia, kidney disease, and behavioral disorders. Grants have also been made for establishmentof aDNA tissue bank and to search for DNA markers for such diseases as canine mammary carcinoma.