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How do
I donate samples
for Saluki studies?

 

Your tax-deductible donations, made payable to SHR Inc, should be sent to

MaryDee Sist DVM
1629 Meech Road
Williamston, MI 48895

517-655-1354
517-655-5551
Salukihealth@aol.com

2008 Annual Meeting
& President's Report

The annual meeting of SHR was held at the MSU Livestock Pavilion, E. Lansing, MI at 3 PM Sat. Nov. 30, 2008. Treasurer, Jim Steckley and Director, Bill Schall participated in various discussions and actions included:

- Approval of the corporate records for the year June 2007 thru June 2008.

- Approval of board members and terms of office - via correspondence from the State of Mi, all non-profits must have at least 4 directors on their boards, thus adding 2 new board members was discussed. Vicky Clarke and Linda Scanlon were both approved to serve on the board. Jim Steckley and Bill Schall agreed to continue in their positions. Nancy Badra will no longer continue as secretary.

- Approval of the Treasurer's report for the corporate year end of June 1, 2008. It was agreed that filing the non-profit tax correspondence via the internet was simpler than completing the paper tax form and this form was not deemed necessary since SHR's yearly income has not exceeded $25,000 limit for years.

- Secretary's report included maintenance and updating SHR website. Adding Vicky Clarke as technical advisor was approved. Pedigree analysis via updated computer software would be instituted when banked samples were forwarded for DNA analysis in future projects.

President's report -

Update of current projects:

- AKC/CHF Hemangiosarcoma research projects:

I continue to encourage send blood samples from Salukis presumed to have hemangiosarcoma to the Broad Institute for inclusion in their current HSA study.

- $2500 was approved for supporting 2009 Grant #1147: PI, Chieko Azuma at Tufts University.

- Confidential scientific progress reports to the CHF for Grants No. 993A: Mapping Genes Associated with Canine Hemangiosarcoma and Grant No. 757A: Hereditary Mutations in Genes Associated with Osteosarcoma in Large Dog Breeds have been recieved. Progress is being made in both studies reported by Dr. Lindblad-Toh and the CHF has reviewed and approved the reports.

- Continue histological examination and banking of cancer samples with Dr. Barb Steficheck. It was decided that the cost involved of immunohistochemical analysis of undifferentiated sarcoma samples examined at DCPAH was not justified at this time.

Proposed Projects:

- Approval to investigate a Saluki specific hemangiosarcoma project with Dr. Modiano and/or Dr. Mathew Breen

- Consideration of offering a CHF Hemangiosarcoma and/or a CHF Cardiology (MI or DCM) Saluki specific grant to encourage submissions from researchers for funding

- Consideration of conducting a pilot project in collaboration with the MSU oncology unit, though they are more treatment oriented.

Status of publications and distribution of health information:

An updated Saluki Tumor Registry article was published in the Summer 2008 ASA Newsletter. This included a request for support for Dr. Modiano's newly submitted AKC-CHF Grant, which was also published in the SCOA Newsletter. This issue of the ASA Newsletter also included an article summarizing the results of the SHR supported Salukis Studies that I presented at the Saluki World Congress in Finland in July. This article was also made available on the SHR and World Saluki Congress web sites.

A summary of the Saluki Thyroid Study was presented at the World Small Animal Veterinary Association annual meeting in Dublin in October and the abstract is available on the WSAVA site.

A poster entitled "Unique Physiological Differences Can Cause Inappropriate Diagnosis of Hypothyroidism in Sighthounds" was presented at the annual Phi Zeta Veterinary Research Day at the CVM, MSU which included the Saluki Thyroid Study results. This information was also presented to the group of veterinarians that attended the Veterinary Study Tour of Egypt in Nov.

Dr. Robert Shiel has redone the statistical analysis and included this information from the MSU-DCPAH data base computer search of sighthound submissions in the rewritten the Saluki Thyroid Study. This manuscript entitled "Thyroid Hormone Concentrations and Autoantibody Status in Healthy Salukis and Implications for Diagnosing Hypothyroidism" has just been resubmitted for publication.

I was fortunate to attend the AKC/CHF Cardiology Symposium in Oct. and an article on this meeting was published in the SCOA Newsletter as well as being made available on the SHR web site.

Saluki Health website inquiries and information distribution continues. There have been many more international inquiries since the presentation on Saluki Health Studies at the World Saluki Congress. Salukis from all parts of the world do seem to share similar health issues.

Fund-Raising Activities: The July 2008 ASA Celebration Weekend silent auction and raffle were once again very successful. Thanks to the efforts of Chairman Cathy Chapman and her team of dedicated workers as well as the generosity of both the donors of the items and the bidders. $1437.50 was contributed to SHR in honor of Mary Jane Helder for her years of dedication to this fund raising endeavor.

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Society for the Perpetuation of the Desert Bred Saluki and donors as well as entrants (listed on SHR's web site) ALL SALUKI FUN MATCH held in September 2008 in MO raised $400 for SHR's research efforts.

Continued discussions need to take place on what areas of research are important to the well being of Salukis and need to be funded; as well as what fund raising efforts and distribution of Saluki related information need attention. I look forward to getting input from the new members of the board on especially, these matters.

Many thanks go to Nancy Badra for her years of work as secretary of SHR. Her expertise in creating and maintaining SHR's website and continually providing updates has greatly assisted in disseminating health related information and making it readily available to Saluki fanciers.

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