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| In an effort to prevent pets from being relinquished to shelters for behavior problems, Morris Animal Foundation will fund research targeting prevention and improvement of pet behavior problems. |
To help advance the science and knowledge of behavior in companion animals, Morris Animal Foundation has established the R.K. Anderson Animal Behavior Research Endowment Fund.
Each year millions of pets are relinquished to shelters because of preventable, behavior-related problems, according to MAF.
“Unwanted behavior is the number one reason for fracture of the human animal bond and our relationships with our pets, resulting in millions of dogs and cats losing their homes each year,” said Robert K. Anderson, DVM, Dipl. ACVB, after whom the fund is named. “Sadly, many are euthanized. We can’t fix it without data. And we need to do the research to supply the data.”
MAF said that the endowment will fund research targeting prevention and improvement of pet behavior problems, improving safety and the quality of life for humans as well.
Anderson, who was a colleague of MAF’s founder, Mark Morris Sr., DVM, and a professor and mentor of MAF’s current president and chief executive officer Patricia Olson, DVM, contributed the initial $100,000 to the endowment. The goal is to reach $5 million.
Anderson recently established the Animal Behavior Resources Institute Inc., a nonprofit educational resource for animal behavior professionals and their clients based in Falcon Heights, Minn.