The Collie Health Foundation – Who We Are and What We Do: A Blueprint for Parent Clubs

The Collie Health Foundation – Who We Are and What We Do: A Blueprint for Parent Clubs

In 1986, the Collie Club of America established the Collie Health Foundation, Inc. (CHF). The benefits would be twofold; provide tax deductions for potential donors and increase additional income to support worthwhile causes.

The mission of the Collie Health Foundation is to fund research that benefits the future health of Collies, to educate breeders and the public about health issues, and to support informed breeding practices, responsible dog ownership, and effective animal husbandry.

The CHF’s founding purposes have frequently aligned with the missions of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and its Canine Health Information Center (CHIC). Since its inception, the CHF has provided more than $1,200,000 in support of various Collie and canine health-related research. Additionally, canine research in genetics, toxicology, and various disease conditions also benefit advances in human research. For example, research into DMS (Dermatomyositis) is closely related to the ongoing research into the human disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

The flagship CHF Committee is its Grants Committee, headed by Nancy Kelso, DVM. It solicits research proposals that will benefit the health of Collies specifically and dogs in general. They review applications, then select grants and funding amounts to support. The Committee provides progress reports and updates via the CHF Newsletter and website, as well as to the Collie fancy as a whole.

At each Collie Club of America National, the CHF also hosts a dinner with a keynote research speaker and a spectacular auction. This gives the attendees personal contact with our researchers and with the projects that our organization funds. Money generated through this auction (often of prized artifacts) helps to increase our funds for research. Not to be forgotten, the generosity advanced through memberships, celebration and memorial contributions, and endowments is important to the growth of income tied to the Foundation’s ability to award research grants.

Our annual Health Clinic, held during the Collie Club of America National Specialty, offers several days of no-cost health testing, including blood draws and other tests as needed for our research initiatives as well as for the CHIC DNA Repository.

Having repository DNA samples readily available allows researchers to immediately begin studies as new opportunities arise, accelerating progress and increasing the chances of meaningful discoveries. The OFA believes this process ensures long-term preservation of these valuable genetic materials. A highlight of the 2025 CHF Health Clinic was our first-ever free eye examination clinic, which saw strong participation. Researchers were thrilled with the turnout and the high-quality samples collected during the event.

Another major fundraiser takes place during the annual Sunnybank “Gathering” in Wayne, New Jersey. Held over multiple days at the former home of beloved Collie author Albert Payson Terhune, this event is a pilgrimage for Collie lovers. Through raffles, sales, and auctions, we raise vital funds for the Collie Health Foundation and the Terhune Sunnybank Memorial. But more than that, the Gathering is where people and their Collies immerse themselves in the magic of Sunnybank—walking the same lawns described in Terhune’s stories and reliving the Collie dreams of their childhood. It’s a celebration of heritage, heart, and the unbreakable bond between Collies and those who love them.

Genetic Testing and Health

Our most recent collaboration with the University of California–Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (UC-Davis VGL) has significantly advanced CHIC certification efforts. Through this partnership, VGL now offers a comprehensive Collie panel that includes tests for the most critical genetic conditions currently identifiable in the breed, with results submitted directly to the OFA. As a result of these initiatives, the number of CHIC-certified Collies in 2024 has tripled compared to previous years.

The CHF provides testing subsidies for purebred Rough and Smooth Collies owned by CHF members.

For 2025, the UC-Davis VGL CHF Subsidy includes:

• $100 toward the full genetic panel
• $25 toward select individual tests

Additionally, CHF covers the submission fees for the three DNA tests required by the Collie Club of America for CHIC certification.

Further reimbursements are available as follows:

• Up to $30 for general testing expenses
• $50 for OFA hip and elbow grading submitted together (one dog)
• $45 for OFA hip grading only (one dog)
• $150 for PennHIP (Penn Hip Improvement Program) grading (one dog)

For more information, CHF members should visit the CHF website or contact our Testing Coordinator, Isabel Ososki, at: testing@colliehealth.org.

Education

Another purpose of the Foundation is to provide ongoing educational opportunities through seminars. Foundation member-clubs can apply for an educational health seminar grant up to $1,000. The CHF’s website offers past dinner seminar presentations, articles, and webinars. We are currently in the process of planning two webinars in mid-spring to early fall, one on DMS and Vesicular cutaneous lupus erythematosus (VCLE) research by Dr. Frane Banovic, University of Georgia, and another on MDR1 (multidrug resistance mutation 1) research by Dr. Bonnie Kraus. We keep in touch with our members and those interested in Collie health via our quarterly print CHF Newsletter, Constant Contact shout-outs, and through our Marketing and Outreach Committee via Facebook.

The Collie Health Foundation will continue to move forward and grow through the devotion of enthusiastic volunteers, embedded officers and board members, successful research projects, and generous patrons. Visit our website (https://www.colliehealth.org/) and see what we have to offer to the benefit of your Collie and you.