Manchester Terrier Health Committee
Committee:
Aiko Shinseki (Chair) shinsekis@yahoo.com Amanda Kelly fwaggle2@eastlink.ca Jennifer Tomes MerseySMT@aol.com Irene Hetrick ihetrick@earthlink.net Mission:
The Canadian Manchester Terrier Club’s (CMTC) Health Committee’s mission is to help Manchester Terriers live a long and healthy life by a) leveraging research/statistics to regularly monitor the health status of the breed; b) expanding overall knowledge and understanding of breed health using electronic medium; c) disseminating health and wellness materials; and d) establishing a central repository that supports education/outreach and allows universal access to reference materials (i.e., articles, studies, or other media).
Goals:
The CMTC's Health Committee aims to be a world leader in research and outreach around health issues affecting Manchester Terriers. Education is our primary focus and we will identify health information and issues of concern to dog owners and breeders through results from research and statistics projects that affect Manchester Terriers. We will bring forth current general and specific health education information and provide an opportunity for education and discussion amongst Manchester fanciers. Our ultimate goal is to establish a working relationship with owners, breeders and complementary organizations in order to continue to deliver a clear and accurate picture of the breed, its health and longevity.
Objectives:
The Health Committee will work to improve the overall health of the Manchester Terrier (Toy and Standard) by:
- Studying and evaluating health trends in the breed through structured research and wide consultation with breeders and owners.
- Establishing working relationships with research foundations, individual research projects and funding agencies.
- Networking with owners, professionals and other breed clubs or research organizations that share common interests.
- Providing health information and facilitating knowledge transfer to pet owners and breeders alike.
- Taking advantage of traditional and new media and publishing opportunities (i.e., face book, CMTC web site, CMTC Blog, newsletters, pod casts, etc.) to share up-to-date general and scientific information with targeted audiences.
Project Focus:
Health-related initiatives will fall into four primary categories:
a)Research/Statistics: By executing research and studies we will gain a better understanding of the breed's overall health, including hereditary conditions. By conducting surveys we will gather quantifiable data about the health status of the Manchester Terrier. Studying what owners and breeders are seeing in the breed will help the committee evaluate health trends in our breed as a whole.
b)Web: The health site will strive to increase awareness and disseminate health-related information. It will include educational information, appropriate recommendations and guidance in addition to bringing forward easy-to-understand subject matter to improve breeding programs and owner care.
c)Outreach: We will seek to deliver and showcase ways for owners, breeders, veterinarians, and other professionals to use the observations, experience and knowledge gathered by the Health Committee. Fundraising projects will mainly focus on helping to underwrite health research and studies. However, initiatives to support dog owners and breeders with breed specific health awareness campaigns will also be supported.
d)Library: We will support the establishment of an instantly accessible, central knowledge base repository through which Manchester fanciers and owners can learn & share best practices and find relevant articles regarding health issues of interest.