Was your dog drinking a lot of water, coughing after drinking water, slowing down, excessive panting, drippy nose, often overheated?
Did your Vet diagnose a Heart Condition?
'I woke up and my dog died in her bed last night.
She seemed fine.
I had no idea she was sick. I feel lost.'
A Grieving Pet Owner
How many times have we read that comment on-line?
Dogs die every day from heart failure not diagnosed by Vets.
Our dogs deserve to be treated for all treatable conditions.
Heart Disease & Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is the #1 Killer in Sudden Canine Death.
Yet Vets rarely treat it.
This must change.
About Us
We're dedicated to bringing vital awareness and scientific insight to canine heart health, addressing the silent crisis of sudden cardiac death in dogs. Discover our unwavering commitment to protecting our beloved companions.
Our Mission & Vision
Our mission at the Canine Heart Foundation is to revolutionize canine heart health awareness. We are dedicated to providing pet owners with critical information and scientific data, focusing on the dangers of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and sudden cardiac death. Dogs are the only animal that have provably put themselves in harms way to protect and save the life of a human being and often losing their own life in the process. They deserve the best we can give them.
Sudden Canine Death
Just like humans, dogs develop age-related health conditions and diseases—many of which are silent and not obvious at first. We often focus more on what our dogs do for us than on what we can do for them, and place complete trust in our veterinarians, assuming they’ll catch everything.
But most vets only see your dog for about 30 minutes every six months, meaning much more can—and should—be done. The heartbreaking reality is that many dogs die suddenly without clear warning, leaving owners wondering, “What happened?”
Do you have the right Vet?
As responsible pet owners, we need to adopt a proactive mindset—especially once our dogs reach early middle age (around 4 - 5 years, depending on breed)—and maintain consistent, vigilant health monitoring throughout their senior years. Sudden Canine Death is always heart related & can be diagnosed ahead of time.
Get the Right Information
Vets know about heart failure in dogs. They are trained in it as vet students and there is a great deal of literature on the subject.
Yet, for those of you who lost a dog suddenly and your dog had been seeing a vet there is only one question.
Did a Vet ever mention the possibility of heart failure in your beloved dog?
Augie's Story - A Film
In August of 2026, we will release a documentary film about the life of Little Augie Doggie, a scared, lonely, hunted, & starving stray dog who was taken off the street and was given a home and love. Augie gave a lot more than he took from anyone and his life was cut short by vets who ignored his symptoms of heart failure until it was too late. Sadly, there are lots of Augie's who die suddenly and with no warning and no treatment from their vets who entirely ignored their heart health. We will present his story in detail including identifying the names and circumstances around his premature death. If you ever had a dog die with no warning and no apparent and diagnosed symptoms Augie's story may well ring true to you. We will announce the opening date for the film in early summer with a targeted release date of August 6, 2025 of 'Augie's Story: The Quiet Goodbye' on the one year anniversary of Augie's death. Augie was ignored in death by the vet community but his message of love and his voice will last forever in film.
"The Canine Heart Foundation's mission resonates deeply with my own heartbreaking experience losing my dog with no explanation in the middle of the night despite being 'well cared' for by my veterinarian.
A grieving pet owner