Texas A&M Today 11/14/2019
Across the country, about 10,000 dogs of all backgrounds will be studied to see how they age and what makes for a long, healthy dog’s life. Everyone who loves a dog wants the animal, whether pet or work companion, to enjoy as many years as possible. Learning the whys behind the length and strength of dogs’ lifespans has become the impetus for the largest research data-gathering program of its kind, the Dog Aging Project.
The $23 million initiative is jointly operated by the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and the University of Washington School of Medicine. It will create a national community of dogs, owners, veterinarians, researchers, and volunteers, all working together to advance knowledge about how genes, habits and the environment influence dog aging.
Although the project has been in its preliminary stages for a while, it was formally announced on Nov. 14 at the annual Gerontological Society of America meeting in Austin. Dog owners can nominate their canine as a candidate on the Dog Aging Project website.
Nomination involves creating a secure user portal and providing comprehensive health and lifestyle information about the dog through questionnaires and the sharing of veterinary medical records.
Dogs of every age, from puppy to senior; all sizes, from miniature to huge; male and female; neutered or not; and living in all types of locations are invited to be nominated. Healthy dogs and those with chronic illness will be considered.
More:
https://today.tamu.edu/2019/11/14/texas-am-university-of-washington-partner-in-historic-dog-aging-project/
