Zinnie was a lovable, goofy, and gentle Aussie with an old soul and a playful demeanor. He loved being outside with his mom and dad - going on hikes or walks, camping, or just sitting on the front stoop sniffing the air. Everyone he met loved him, and it was impossible not to smile when he wagged his full body and had sneeze attacks in his excitement to say hi.

Zinnie suffered from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) for his entire short life. Despite the excellent care that he received from a team of veterinarians, specialists, and a canine nutritionist, the state of the science is not as advanced as it could be, and Zinnie died from complications from the disease on May 16, 2022 at just three years old. Sadly, this disease affects a large number of dogs in the country each year, and, while usually not as aggressive as the version that afflicted our poor boy, makes life uncomfortable for dogs from all breeds. Help us drive advances in understanding canine IBD so that vets have more diagnostic and treatment tools at their disposal.

We are teaming up with MAF to address this problem. We hope to raise $75,000 to pursue new research over the next few years, including looking much deeper into the microbiome and gut health so that doctors have more options available to them for early diagnosis and treatment.

For more information about Zinnie and his battle with this disease, please visit our website: thezinniestudy.com.

About MAF: Morris Animal Foundation is a nonprofit organization that funds science to advance the health of animals around the world. Since its founding in 1948, the Foundation has invested over $155 million in more than 2,700 studies that have led to significant breakthroughs in diagnostics, treatments and preventions to benefit animals worldwide.