Editor's note: This article was contributed by the Morris Animal Foundation to provide an update on the organization's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.

Halle, a 9-month-old red golden retriever, loves stuffed toys, never stops wagging her tail, and cannot get enough of the snow, which is quite copious in her upstate New York hometown.

In addition to her duties of keeping company with Max, Roger, and Diana Sparrow’s 12 ½-year-old yellow Lab, Halle has joined the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study to do her part to make veterinary history by fighting cancer and making life better for dogs worldwide.

“Our study focuses on the four most common cancers in dogs: hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, osteosarcoma and mast cell tumors,” says Michael Guy, DVM, MS, Ph.D., director of the Canine Lifetime Health Project at Morris Animal Foundation. “We need a total of 3,000 dogs to enable us to generate enough data to determine whether a genetic, dietary or environmental factor creates a risk for one of these cancers.” 

Interested in joining the remaining 2,000 dogs needed for the largest observational study in veterinary history? Register today at CanineLifetimeHealth.org. Also, view a PSA video about the study that you can share on your website and social media pages.