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The Miki Society for Companion Animal Research offers an opportunity to memorialize pets while contributing to research that helps all companion animals. The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences created the Miki Society in 1988, shortly after the death of its namesake. Miki was the first cat in the world to receive a bone marrow transplant for a rare and fatal disease found in both cats and children. The disease, mucoploysaccaridosis (MIPS) VI, is a devastating illness that takes hope and life from the very young. Miki's transplant was the first ray of sunshine to many seeking to shed light on this insidious disease. Miki died three years after his transplant, becoming the longest surviving cat with MIPS. His spirit, and the pioneering medical research in which he participated, left behind a legacy which seeks to improve animal and human health through on-going research.
Hope is what the Miki Society is all about. Hope that one day research will lead to new answers for vaccinations and prevention. Hope that one day our companion animals will live longer and healthier lives free of many of the devastating illnesses that affect not only them, but often their human companions as well.
The Miki Society Giving Stories
BeBe Kahus
BeBe was a lively Sharpei who was as happy lounging on the couch as she was tracking down critters in the wilds of rural Arizona. Unfortunately, BeBe's exuberant life was cut tragically short by Sharpei fever – a serious genetic condition that can end in liver or kidney failure. BeBe's veterinarian and her family both made contributions to the Miki Society to support research into conditions such as Sharpei fever, about which relatively little is currently known. Research into hereditary canine illness like Sharpei fever promises not only to improve the prognosis for companion animals like BeBe, but also to provide insight into similar diseases that afflict people.
Laddie Hockom
Laddie could light up a room with his sweet, silly personality. When he passed away at the age of 12 from kidney problems and pneumonia, the Hockoms made a gift in his memory toward canine research at the Miki Society for Companion Animals. Through this fund, clinicians and scientists receive financial support to research improved treatment options for dogs experiencing similar health problems.
Moki and Taz
Moki and Taz were best friends who shared a bond as special as any two companions could enjoy, and their love for each other in turn lit up the lives of their people. Moki's family adopted her at 11 weeks old, just one week after their friends and neighbors adopted Taz at the same age. The dogs were inseparable for the next ten and a half years, sharing two families and two homes, and embarking on countless fishing, camping, and traveling adventures. Their families recognized the poetic tragedy of the dogs’ passing within two months of each other, each from a different form of aggressive cancer. To recognize the dogs' heartwarming friendship, their families made a contribution to the Miki Society, which works to find cures for devastating illnesses like cancer.
