Formed to protect the health, longevity, and preservation of our Breed.
The Leonberger Health Foundation International is a nonprofit charitable foundation formed at the turn of the 21st Century to facilitate the solicitation and distribution of donations given to support health related breed-specific research. The LHFI considers breed health, longevity, and preservation to be significant challenges that need to be actively addressed by the world-wide Leonberger community. Since 2000, over $560,000 has been raised and distributed to researchers in several countries.
The LHFI is a permanent and separate entity. However, LHFI Directors and volunteers all come from the worldwide Leonberger community and usually hold various positions in national breed clubs and leadership roles in other associated endeavors such as the Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database. We also work closely with and fully support organizations such as the AKC Canine Health Foundation, the Morris Animal Foundation, and the Animal Health Trust.
The LHFI is a permanent and separate entity. However, LHFI Directors and volunteers all come from the worldwide Leonberger community and usually hold various positions in national breed clubs and leadership roles in other associated endeavors such as the Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database. We also work closely with and fully support organizations such as the AKC Canine Health Foundation, the Morris Animal Foundation, and the Animal Health Trust.
A Tradition of TransparencyIn the early 1990s, a handful of Leonberger Club of America leaders led by breeder, Waltraut Zieher, began a quest to limit the impact of canine diseases in the Leonberger. These individuals openly discussed their dogs’ health problems at gatherings, wrote about health issues for the quarterly breed magazine and by 1995 were holding discussions about breed health on online forums. They contacted veterinarians, universities, and geneticists asking for help. They set a standard of open discussion about health and alerted the Leonberger community about the potential for breed related disease and dysfunction as the breed grew in popularity in North America.
Facilitating FundingIn 1997, three Leos from the same litter were diagnosed with Addison’s Disease. This wake-up call to the Leonberger community resulted in an outpouring of funding for research. It was clear that a charitable foundation was needed to collect and distribute research funds. In 2000, the Leonberger Health Foundation was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation. Since 2000, over $560,000 has been raised and distributed to researchers in several countries.
In 2002 the LHFI was granted 501(c)(3) status by the IRS, allowing all subsequent donations to be tax deductible. All work for the LHFI is done by volunteers, meaning 100% of the donations received are utilized to fund Leonberger-related health projects. |
DNA and the DogThe early commitment to breed health in the Leonberger Community coincided with the rise of the revolution in canine genetics and genomics. Scientists on both sides of the Atlantic became increasingly interested not only in improving canine health, but also in the potential knowledge concealed in the closed gene pools of purebred dog populations. They carried a shared vision of healthier dogs and the potential for using the dog model to study human health. The study of canine diseases exploded in major research institutions throughout the world.
Expanding the EffortThe vision of the LHFI as an independent organization has always been inclusive--supporting research that benefits all Leonbergers, regardless of the countries where they reside or the clubs with which they or their owners might be affiliated. This international scope was formalized in 2018 with the addition of four new Directors from nations other than the United States.
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