Margaret and Richard Riney have given $30 million to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine to endow and name the Cornell Margaret and Richard Riney Canine Health Center.

The gift is intended to improve the health and well‑being of dogs through research and outreach, establishing the center as a focal point for canine-specific programs and investigator support at Cornell. Among the common health issues faced by dogs today are gum disease, ear infections, and obesity, all of which will be addressed through the center’s initiatives.

The Rineys’ donation creates a permanent endowment to support the center’s work within the college and to catalyze discovery-driven research at the Baker Institute for Animal Health, which will conduct canine health-related studies and aim to develop innovative treatments for prevalent conditions such as osteoarthritis and skin allergies.

“We were inspired by the college’s plans for a new Canine Health Center,” said Margaret Riney, reflecting on the decision to fund the project. Richard Riney added, “We know personally the importance and benefits of the relationships humans form with animals, especially with our pets.” Veterinary schools like Cornell play a crucial role in advancing canine health research, conducting pioneering studies and training the next generation of researchers.

College leaders said the gift will accelerate research and create new opportunities for outreach to dog owners and veterinarians. “This generous gift will provide the catalyst needed to greatly accelerate our discovery-driven research,” said Dr. Scott Coonrod, Professor of Cancer Biology and director at the Baker Institute for Animal Health. Currently, funding for canine health research is comparatively lower than that for other animal studies, which underscores the significance of the Rineys’ contribution. How does funding for canine health research compare to that of other animals?

Officials outlined specific programs the endowment will support, including a competitive grants program aimed at fostering early-career investigators. “The Canine Health Center’s grants program will be particularly important for early-career faculty,” said Dr. David Lee, associate dean for external programs. The AKC Canine Health Foundation has funded over $52 million for canine health research since 1995, highlighting the critical need for such financial support.

Clinicians at the college noted the center will allow teams to design canine-focused initiatives without the budget and staffing trade-offs that often limit specialized work. “This gift will allow investigators to design rigorous canine-specific programs without having to sacrifice or forsake important objectives due to budget or staffing constraints,” said Dr. Kelly Hume, associate professor of clinical sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

College leadership called the donation a turning point for the veterinary school’s ambitions in dog health. “We are very pleased to see the vision of the Cornell Margaret and Richard Riney Canine Health Center coming to fruition,” said Dr. Lorin D. Warnick, Dean of Veterinary Medicine. The center’s mandate to address both laboratory research and outreach aims to become a trusted source of information on canine health.

The university has framed the initiative as a means to translate discoveries into practical guidance for dog owners and clinicians alike; the pandemic-era strengthening of bonds between people and their pets was cited as context for the center’s outreach priorities.

Cornell’s announcement about the gift and the launch of the center can be read on the university’s news pages, including the Cornell Chronicle and the College of Veterinary Medicine site, Vet.

The endowed funds are expected to back research projects, faculty support and outreach programming intended to improve diagnostics, prevention and treatment tailored to dogs, and to help train the next generation of investigators and clinicians focused on canine medicine.

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Original reporting: view the original article.