In 2020 we were given the sad news that the Animal Health Trust was closing. It had faced fundraising issues exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and when it closed at the end of July The Kennel Club and the Animal Health Trust (AHT) issued a joint statement advising that the scientific data and biological material including more than 40,000 DNA samples stored at the Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the AHT’s headquarters in Newmarket had been secured and moved to Cambridge University.
The centre worked to identify and treat health issues in dogs and develop DNA screening tests to identify affected, carrier and clear animals. Irish Setters have benefitted directly from this research and have supplied DNA samples and data to AHT over the years. The most recent research we supported was the Give a Dog a Genome project when DNA samples from 2 epileptic Irish Setters were submitted.
It is hoped future developments will be announced in due course.
