The biannual Dewey’s Golden Jubilee returned to Dewey Beach this weekend, drawing owners and 430 golden retrievers for a parade, beach romp and a memorial bonfire honoring dogs lost to illness.

The event supports the Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, which collects health data from more than 3,000 golden retrievers to help researchers identify the nutritional, environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors that increase disease risk. **Health studies like the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study are significant for their ability to track thousands of dogs over their entire lives, yielding crucial data on the incidence of cancers and other common diseases.**

Participants gathered for a costume parade at 6:45 Sept. 26 and a beach romp at 10 a.m. Sept 27, bringing together owners who travel from across the country to take part in the weekend’s rituals and conversations about canine health. **Such gatherings help owners see the impact they can have on veterinary research by enrolling their dogs in large-scale longitudinal studies, thereby supporting initiatives aimed at improving canine health.**

At the memorial bonfire, Rachel Conwell honored Kaly, a deceased study participant she called her “angel.” “I get to see a lot of other heroes and friends in the study. It’s just amazing and super-special and I always look forward to it,” Conwell said.

Other owners marked their own losses. Karen Gerth remembered Kody and Kylee as “angels” she lost to cancer, while Kim Bronakoski spoke of Riley, her first golden, who died of hemangiosarcoma. “There’s nothing like a golden. They are just pure joy,” Gerth said. **Large-scale canine health studies often focus on common breeds such as golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, and German shepherds.**

Sarah Lemberg, Research Volunteer Coordinator at the Morris Animal Foundation, placed the personal remembrances in scientific context: “If we can better understand the nutritional, environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors that increase the likelihood of disease, then we can do something about it,” she said.

The Jubilee blends celebration with purpose: parades and beach play for the dogs, and a chance for owners and volunteers to talk about long-term study goals and daily care choices. Organizers said the gathering also offers informal support for owners coping with the loss of study dogs. **Attendees not only share in their grief but also engage in vital discussions around health management, highlighting the need for more comprehensive data that these studies facilitate.**

Photographs and conversations at the beach highlighted the study’s scale and reach. The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study’s database of more than 3,000 dogs provides a foundation for researchers seeking incidence data and risk patterns for cancers and other common conditions in the breed.

Local coverage of the event noted the return of the Jubilee to Dewey Beach and the atmosphere of reunion and remembrance; additional background on the weekend’s activities can be found in coverage by Cape Gazette. The study itself and its role in producing longitudinal evidence across thousands of dogs has been explored in veterinary research discussions such as those at Fidocure.

Organizers emphasized Dewey Beach’s distinctiveness as the only beach in Delaware that allows dogs off-leash, a feature that has helped the town become a recurring site for canine-centered events. The Jubilee’s mix of social and scientific aims drew owners who said the weekend provides both companionship and a sense of contributing to broader veterinary knowledge.

For many attendees the weekend was equally about memory and community. Conwell attends the memorial bonfire each year to remember Kaly, while others used the gathering to compare notes about screening, diagnosis and the emotional work of caring for a beloved pet through illness.

The Morris Animal Foundation and volunteers will continue enrolling and following dogs in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study as data collection proceeds; the Jubilee offered a public-facing reminder that behind the numbers are owners and animals connected by shared experiences of joy and loss.

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Original reporting: view the original article.