Scientific research into dog aging biology is producing promising longevity interventions with potential to extend healthy lifespan and reduce age-related welfare burden.
Dog longevity research is compelling from a welfare perspective because it aims to extend healthy, functional lifespan rather than simply total lifespan. Compression of morbidity — reducing the period of age-related suffering before death — is the welfare goal. Rapamycin trials showing cardiac function improvements in dogs with subclinical heart disease are particularly promising. The Dog Aging Project represents an unprecedented scientific resource for understanding aging biology and its welfare implications across the dog population.