SCWTCA Health Committee

The SCWTCA Health Committee has long been considered the gold standard in AKC Parent Club Health Committees due to its members’ determination, organization, and dedication to improving the health of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and educating its breeders, owners, researchers, and veterinarians. Its origins began in 1995 under then-President Pam Donohue. Long before it was popular, we identified problems and worked to solve those problems through education and understanding. While the road was not always easy and there were many hits along they way, the Committee stayed focused on its goals.

It created a public a registry for hip clearances, eye clearances before OFA had their registry and then worked with the University of Pennsylvania to establish and maintain an Open Registry of Wheaten Terriers affected with PLE, PLN, RD and later Addision’s disease. Members collected DNA samples, required necropsies of sick dogs and healthy geriatric dogs and all the while educated not just SCWTCA members, but breeders and owners worldwide. During these tumultuous times they did their job even while mourning their own dogs. In the past five years the Committee has brought education directly to breeders’ and owners’ homes with a series of Wheaten-related webinars, with the health webinars being funded by the Endowment.  The Committee has had many excellent leaders at its helm: (in order of their appointment) Gay Dunlap, Richard Tomlinson, Emily Holden, Janet Petros, George Jeitles, DVM, Helen Moreland, Cecily Skinner, Molly O’Connell, Susan Jacobsen, and now Susan Ratliffe. A group of determined committee members worked tirelessly until a genetic marker for PLN was discovered (please review the Research section of this website for information). They are to be commended by all Wheaten owners and we owe them our gratitude.

Learn more about the Committee by clicking on the button below. If you have any questions for the health chair you, can email her at health@scwtca.org

The Health Committee offers a free health screening booklet as part of its mission to educate the public about the SCWT. You can obtain your free copy here or view it online. 

We dedicate this page to those committee members, chairs and all the breeders and owners who made this committee a success.

 “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” Helen Keller