About the Endowment

The Wheaten Health Endowment*, was started in 2001 as the SCWTCA Endowment, Inc., by the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America, Inc. (“SCWTCA”). In 2014, we received 501c3 status from the IRS.

SCWTCA’s commitment to Wheaten health and health research grew in the 1990s as more Wheatens were diagnosed with protein losing conditions, kidney disease, and Addison’s Disease. As responsible guardians of the breed, SCWTCA and its members were concerned with the potential genetic basis for these conditions. By 1996, it had established a Health Fund. The Open Registry and the Colony Dogs project were funded and other research was on the horizon.

SCWTCA recognized additional funding would be required to support these initiatives. Additionally, like most dog clubs, SCWTCA cannot receive tax-deductible donations. It established the SCWTCA Endowment, Inc., as a separate 501(c)3 organization to maximize donations and manage potential tax liability.

Under our founding Chair Carol Carlson, who remained in that role until shortly before her passing in 2019, the Endowment began raising funds and supporting research. In our first 20 years, we provided research funding in excess of $200,000 to multiple projects. You can read more about our current research and past research funding.

We are particularly delighted that our contributions to research into the genetics of PLN brought about the discovery of variant alleles associated with PLN and an easy method of testing. This test has been used by thousands of breeders worldwide since its introduction in 2012 and the careful use by responsible breeders has resulted in the reduction of the number of dogs at a higher risk for becoming affected.

We have also focused on creating a financially stable base in order to quickly meet research needs that any future health issues might require.

As part of our mission, we also provide owners and breeders with tools and information to manage their Wheatens’ health. A significant effort is the creation and management of the SCWT Database that contains information on over 80,000 current and past Wheatens worldwide. This data helps individuals make informed breeding decisions and, very importantly, is used by researchers in their projects.

We are grateful for the support of the Wheaten community. We encourage you to review our work here on our website and hope that you will join our mission to help all Wheatens live healthier lives.

*The complete name of the organization is the SCWTCA Endowment, Inc., dba Wheaten Health Endowment.