NYT: What if you could give your dog a longer life?

Of course we want our pets to live long, healthy, and happy lives--and a May 9th, 2026 article in the New York Times (NYT) by Amanda Hess details the efforts underway to make that, and much more, reality!

First up in the article is Loyal, a company that is developing a longevity drug for dogs. Founded by Celine Halioua in 2019, Loyal started a clinical trial for a canine metabolism regulator in 2023. Other companies are in the increasingly crowded space where beef-flavored Leap Years supplements share the public's interest with a $275 offering from the 'Longevity Vet' who provides personalized health protocols for your pet. AI is in the mix, of course. Fi, an AI powered pet collar company, works like an Apple watch for pets-with an annual subscription fee. Owners can track the details of their pets' activity patterns--to what end, the article doesn't say. Even cloning and cryopreservation are options, if you can afford it.

All the efforts are not just for the benefit of Fido--according to the NYT there is an immense potential profit at stake too. 2025 saw Americans spending $157 billion on their pets--up from $90 billion in 2016.  Whatever the incentive, pet owners and biotech companies have partnered for the possibility of advancing longevity science for pets AND people. Dogs are uniquely positioned to act as model organisms--an approach Daniel Promislow spearheaded 20 years ago. Promislow, with veterinary scientist Kate Creevy, analyzed dog data for longevity insights before joining with colleague Matt Kaeberlein to enter a summer program funded by longevity-enthusiast Larry Ellison. Together they are extending Kaeberlein's research on the immunosuppressant drug rapamycin's effects on mice with the advent of the Dog Aging Project. 

Loyal's founder Halioua had grown up with pets but was drawn to the pet longevity field because of her Oxford-based work on the health economics of gene therapy. During a camping trip a chance comment about her ideas for extending dogs' lives led to investors, which then led to founding Loyal--an approach predicts both near-term financial stability through pet dog longevity clients and a more nebulous but potentially hugely lucrative human longevity treatment offering in its future.

Pets are a buffer against loneliness and stress, and have even taken the place of children in many people's lives. Dog owners begging for help for their elderly dogs aren't necessarily thinking about their own lifespan, but someday Fido's faithful willingness to undergo treatments (perhaps with treats as the incentive!) may lead to longevity benefits for humans--yet another gift from our furry friends.

Photo Credit: Eleanor Corner