Significance
It has been established that mouse and human epidermal neural crest stem cells are somatic multipotent stem cells with proved innovative potential in a mouse model of spinal cord injury (SCI) offering promise of a valid treatment for SCI. Traumatic SCI is a common neurological problem in dogs with marked similarities, clinically and pathologically, to the syndrome in people. For this reason, dogs provide a readily accessible, clinically realistic, spontaneous model for evaluation of epidermal neural crest stem cells therapeutic intervention. The results of this study are expected to give the baseline data for a future clinical trial in dogs with traumatic SCI.