The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), in collaboration with the American Kennel Club (AKC), announces the launch of the AKC/AKC CHF Canine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program.

This program is designed to increase the number of specialists trained to meet the unique needs of athletic and working dogs, as well as all dogs in need of rehabilitation. Rehabilitation focuses on recovery after surgical procedures, as well as improving the quality of life in animals suffering from debilitating diseases such as arthritis or neurologic impairments. Cutting-edge medicine and health research will benefit canine athletes such as AKC conformation and performance sport participants, detection dogs, military working dogs, police dogs, and more. Given the growing popularity of performance and companion dog sports, canine athletes across the country stand to benefit from additional practitioners trained in this relatively new veterinary specialty.

"CHF recognizes that the health and well-being of dogs extend beyond routine healthcare," says Dr. Stephanie Montgomery, CHF Chief Executive Officer. "In supporting a Canine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency, the Foundation demonstrates its continued commitment to advancing veterinary medicine and ensuring that every dog receives the specialized care they deserve based on their unique circumstances."

CHF released the first call for applications from veterinary colleges with approved sports medicine and rehabilitation programs this month. Each proposal will be reviewed by a panel of CHF leadership and subject matter experts and the chosen institution will receive $100,000 annually to support a three-year residency. Interested veterinary professionals will apply through the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program in the spring of 2025 and start their residency training in July 2025. The program will hopefully grow to award a new residency every year, providing ongoing support for three concurrent residents.

Gina DiNardo, AKC Executive Secretary, shares "This Program will support the training of specialists to care for not only AKC companion and performance sport participants but all dogs. The AKC is passionate about everything related to dogs and proud to support the training of these integral veterinary professionals."

The AKC/AKC CHF Canine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program builds on the success of a similar collaboration supporting specialty training in reproductive medicine and clinical genetics. Since 2016, the AKC/AKC CHF/TF Small Animal Theriogenology Residency Program has provided funding to train 14 specialists at various United States veterinary colleges to help safeguard the health of current and future generations of dogs.

With generous support from the AKC, CHF remains committed to advancing the health of all dogs through cutting-edge science and educational grants. Learn more about these efforts at akcchf.org/educationalgrants.