We cannot release personal information on deceased study dogs since this would be in direct conflict with the confidentiality agreement we’ve made with our participants. However, the owner of the deceased pet may choose to release this information publicly.
The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study Team reaches out personally to each owner who has lost a study dog to offer condolences. Additionally, a memorial photo frame is sent to the owner to honor their dog.
No matter what caused the death, the data collected on an individual is categorized and stored. This includes all the physical samples (such as blood samples and tissue samples) and all questionnaire results. Analysis of samples is ongoing, including samples from deceased study participants. We anticipate some samples may provide useful information to researchers years after the study is completed.
For support or assistance in understanding the grief process, you can find additional resources here.
If you wish to honor the memory of a specific study participant, you may make a memorial donation to the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.
If you have any other questions, please contact the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study team at grdogs@caninelifetimehealth.org or 855.4GR.DOGS (855.447.3647).