Animal Research Grant Goes Beyond Guinea Pigs

Pets are becoming bigger and bigger business, even the little ones. An amusing story on NPR tells of the booming pet insurance industry (which, incidentally, one commentator in the piece calls a better model than US people-insurance. Sigh ...). The story gives the example of a hedgehog on antipsychotic medication to illustrate the lengths to which people will go for their animals. We want our animals to be healthy, dag nabbit!

And apparently, the charitable community agrees. A new set of grants totaling $13 million from the Morris Animal Foundation will bankroll more than 200 animal health research studies "to give veterinarians the tools they need to better diagnose and treat animals" so that all our pets can "enjoy longer, healthier lives," according to a foundation press release.

The studies on the docket, all to take place next year, include 50 on canine health, 24 on feline health, 17 on equine health and six on llamas and alpacas. As the foundation claims that there is a growing shortage of veterinary scientists (or is it more accurate to say there's a growing demand for their services? Just ask the pharmaceutically enhanced hedgehog), it has dedicated $3.1 million of the grant money to training more of them.

Worried that your hamster or chimpanzee is being left out in the cold? You can fix that by cosponsoring your own study to the tune of $3,000. Just make sure your pet is not a guinea pig.

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng