[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BRIA FUND FOR FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS

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                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 18, 2015

  Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, today is the 10th anniversary 
of the Bria Fund for Feline Infectious Peritonitis. The Bria Fund is a 
worthy organization created on November 18, 2005, by two of my 
constituents, Susan Gingrich and James Shurskis, who worked together 
with the Winn Feline Foundation.
  Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a disease that is considered 
to be the predominant cause of death for young cats under the age of 
two, but it can affect cats of any age, including senior cats. FIP 
remains a terminal disease, with no effective vaccine to prevent it, or 
treatment to cure it.
  Despite these ongoing obstacles, the work of the Bria Fund has 
resulted in new interest and research into the little known disease of 
FIP. Since 2005, the Fund has supported 16 FIP research projects, 
leading to important knowledge in multiple aspects of FIP. The 
information gained about the FIP virus has led to improvements in 
testing, diagnosis, and treatment, and better understanding of caring 
for cats with FIP.
  This is an exciting time for FIP research. Despite the lack of a 
definitive cure, better testing and treatment methods are helping some 
cats live well despite having FIP. There are also more opportunities 
for veterinary professionals to learn about FIP in their continuing 
education programs.
  Ms. Gingrich and Mr. Shurskis were inspired by personal experiences 
to establish the Bria Fund. In early 2005, they lost their nine month 
old Blue Lynx Point Birman kitten Bria to suspected FIP. They had never 
heard of FIP before Bria developed it. They soon learned that little 
was known about this disease, that there were no clinical trials 
involving FIP, and no treatment for it, except for steroid 
prescriptions to somewhat ease the pain and suffering of cats with the 
disease.
  After Bria's passing, they were determined to do everything they 
could to spare future cat owners from the experiences they and Bria had 
to endure. The Gingrich family is well known for its love of animals. 
Ms. Gingrich's sisters, Candace Gingrich and Roberta Gingrich Brown, 
worked hard with their sister to establish the Bria Fund. Her brother, 
former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, encouraged the organization 
he created, the Center for Health Transformation, to provide a generous 
contribution to the Fund.
  The Gingrichs could not have picked a more worthy ally in the Winn 
Feline Foundation. The WFF was established by the Cat Fancier's 
Association, Inc., to support health-related research benefiting cats. 
To date, Winn has funded over $5 million in health research for cats at 
more than 30 partner institutions worldwide. Since the WFF was 
established in 1968 feline medicine has become a major veterinary 
specialty. Cats are no longer viewed as small dogs. Today, cat owners 
expect and receive state-of-the-art medical care.
  As the Bria Fund celebrates its 10th anniversary, I encourage my 
colleagues to pause for a moment in honor of National Feline Infectious 
Peritonitis (FIP) Awareness, Research, and Education Day and think of 
all the pets and pet owners in this Nation, especially cats such as 
Bria.

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