Whenever I hear someone say, "You can't buy love," I always tell them, "You've clearly never had a puppy." The relationship between man and dog is unique.

Years ago, I had a dog in a million. An English Springer Spaniel of the rangy, leggy, tough field strain, she was a great bird dog and a great companion. She was patient with kids, even when she got old and arthritic. She was polite to cats. A better dog never lived, and she died nearing 18 years of age, so, a pretty good career.

But if I could have kept her another few years in decent health, I sure would have. Current dog owners may well have that option.

Extending a beloved pet’s life has long been a dream for dog owners. Now, Loyal, a biotech start-up in San Francisco, is bringing that possibility closer to reality. On February 26, the company announced the FDA had certified its daily pill, LOY-002, as having a “reasonable expectation of effectiveness” in extending the lifespan of senior dogs. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine must still confirm the drug’s safety and the company’s ability to manufacture it at scale before veterinarians can prescribe it to eligible dogs — those 10 years or older and weighing at least 14 pounds.

There's no solid indication how long a mutt's life might be prolonged, and in fact, it's not certain this treatment will work at all; it may end up being no more than just another shaggy dog story.

If it did work, I suspect plenty of pet owners would be happy to spend a few bucks to keep Fido around a few more years. Americans do love their dogs.

For many dog owners, extending our pets’ lives would be the realization of a dream. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 49 percent of American households own at least one dog, 97 percent of pet owners consider their animals to be family, and 51 percent not only consider their pets to be a part of their family but say they are as much a part of their family as a human member. Pet care spending has surged, with Americans shelling out $876 yearly on their pets in 2023 — an increase of 90 percent over the past decade, according to MarketWatch.

OK, now, while I get Americans love their dogs - I certainly did - I'd say that saying your pet is as much a part of the family as a human member is going a bit overboard. But who am I to judge?

See Also: Left-Wingers Are Now Coming for Your Dogs Because All Joy Must Be Crushed

Hero Vet Has Genius Idea of How to Take Care of Pets Stranded by Devastating Palisades Fire

Think about the implications of this. If this works, taking on a puppy would mean not just a 12-15-year obligation, but maybe a 20-25-year one. For older folks, that presents a dilemma; taking on a pet who might outlive you is a concern for lots of older folks. When my Mom passed, her 21-year old cat survived her by only a few weeks, but even so. Fortunately, my sister took the old feline in and cared for her for those last few weeks. This could become a more common scenario if our pets' lifespans were extended.

Plenty of people would like to keep their pets for a little longer. And there's this: a process that works on a dog might be adapted to work on Fido's owner. Talk about man's best friend!

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