Our clinical and research team has been involved in the investigation of GI diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, as well as gut function for over a decade. The study is novel and impactful in a number of ways, validating 3D canine organoids as a relevant in vitro functional animal model with many applications in veterinary and translational biomedical research. The work shows how canine organoids can be used: (1) to perform mechanistic studies for basic GI research, (2) to examine host-pathogen interactions contributing to GI disease pathogenesis, (3) for applied preclinical drug screening, permeability, efficacy, and safety testing; (4) for personalized medicine in animal health, and (5) for preclinical research prior to in vivo clinical trials in human patients to improve efficiency and outcomes of drug trials.