About the Collie Health Foundation

Photo of Ch. Blu Ridge Say It Ain't So as a puppy. He is a Blue Merle smooth Collie.
Photo of Collie jumping over Agility boards.
Photo of smooth sable collie named Smoochie.
Collie puppy playing in the mirror.
Image of 4 Collie puppies playing tug-of-war with a stuffed toy.
Smooth collie jumping over the hurdle in agility.
Photo of 2 collie puppy howling with their heads up.
Two beautiful sable Collie puppies with their front feet on a rail.

The Collie Health Foundation’s mission is to fund research medical projects that will benefit the future health of the Collie, and to educate the public and Collie breeders about health issues.

The Collie Club of America, Inc.(CCA) established the Collie Club of America Foundation, Inc. (CHF) in 1986. CHF’s genesis stemmed from the vision of the late R.L. Rickenbaugh, and his wife Hilda, of Bannerblu Collies. The Foundation soon became a driving force for progress in canine health.

The results speak for themselves. Thanks to research backed by the Foundation, once devastating conditions such as progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-RCD2) and canine cyclic neutropenia have been virtually eliminated from the breed. These victories stand as proof that when our community comes together, we can change the course of Collie health.

Yet our mission is far from complete. Challenges remain, and health concerns continue to emerge. The Foundation is committed to funding cutting-edge veterinary research in breeding, genetics, and canine health, with the Collie always at the heart of its mission.

The CHF remains proud that it is the first canine breed club research foundation of its kind. Prior to its existence, the commitment to veterinary research by breed clubs was minimal. It is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that receives funds through memberships, donations, fundraising activities, bequests and honoraria. The larger the Foundation’s membership becomes, the more generous its grants for research can be. Many other breed clubs, including the American Kennel Club (AKC/CHF), have since followed our example and established their own health foundations, using the CHF as their model. On December 17, 2002, the organization officially changed its name from the Collie Club of America Foundation to the Collie Health Foundation in order to create a unique identity, separate from the Collie Club of America, and to more clearly reflect its mission.

Purpose and Goals

The specific purposes and objectives of the Foundation shall include but not be limited to the following:

  1. To foster and promote the public’s knowledge and appreciation of dogs in general and collies in particular.
  2. To further understanding of the diseases, defects, injuries and other ailments that afflict dogs in general and collies in particular.
  3. To support and promote the study of and research on the history, character, varieties, breeding genetics and particular health problems of collies.
  4. To establish a national data base of resource materials about collies.
  5. To produce, publish and distribute to the general public educational materials about the proper care, treatment, breeding, health, development and training of collies.