Canine Cancer Foundation

Story: Nova was the most amazing dog I could have ever asked for. I got her as a puppy when I was in 6th grade. She was my first real responsibility. It was my job to raise her, and I did just that. We formed an amazing bond that will never be matched by anyone. She was my best friend. She got me through a lot of the hardships of life and I could never thank her enough for it. Nova was diagnosed with Hermangiosarcoma on June 21, 2009, and on June 22, 2009 I was forced to make the decision to put my baby girl down. She was only 7 years old, way to young for her to leave me. Now my best friend is gone and I don't know what to do or where to go. Nova was there for me through everything and now she can not be here for me during the hardest week of my life. I love her more than anything in the world and miss her terribly.

Story: Nova was the most amazing dog I could have ever asked for. I got her as a puppy when I was in 6th grade. She was my first real responsibility. It was my job to raise her, and I did just that. We formed an amazing bond that will never be matched by anyone. She was my best friend. She got me through a lot of the hardships of life and I could never thank her enough for it. Nova was diagnosed with Hermangiosarcoma on June 21, 2009, and on June 22, 2009 I was forced to make the decision to put my baby girl down. She was only 7 years old, way to young for her to leave me. Now my best friend is gone and I don't know what to do or where to go. Nova was there for me through everything and now she can not be here for me during the hardest week of my life. I love her more than anything in the world and miss her terribly.

Story: Pepper was our first child. We got her before we were married when we were still in college. She was 11 1/2. Suddenly on April 7th when we got home she wasn't well. She had thrown up twice in the house which isn't too unusual for her because she would eat anything but she wouldn't eat her dinner. She went into the backyard and laid down and wouldn't come in. She came up to the back door when I got home and she was struggling to stand there. I felt her belly and it wasn't right. My husband put her in the van and took her to the Vet ER. When they got there her gums were pale (like white) and they took her blood and she was anemic. They did an ultrasound and found a tumor on her spleen and she was bleeding internally. They suspect it was cancer and it had already spread. They offered emergency surgery to give her 2-4 more months with Chemo. But we couldn't do that to her. At this point she was struggling to breathe. He called me and someone watched the kids so I could go say goodbye. She came in the room and laid on the blanket and licked our faces and told us she was ready. It breaks our heart to be without her.

Story: Pepper was our first child. We got her before we were married when we were still in college. She was 11 1/2. Suddenly on April 7th when we got home she wasn't well. She had thrown up twice in the house which isn't too unusual for her because she would eat anything but she wouldn't eat her dinner. She went into the backyard and laid down and wouldn't come in. She came up to the back door when I got home and she was struggling to stand there. I felt her belly and it wasn't right. My husband put her in the van and took her to the Vet ER. When they got there her gums were pale (like white) and they took her blood and she was anemic. They did an ultrasound and found a tumor on her spleen and she was bleeding internally. They suspect it was cancer and it had already spread. They offered emergency surgery to give her 2-4 more months with Chemo. But we couldn't do that to her. At this point she was struggling to breathe. He called me and someone watched the kids so I could go say goodbye. She came in the room and laid on the blanket and licked our faces and told us she was ready. It breaks our heart to be without her.

Story: Three months and 17 days ago I had to send my baby, Brandy, to heaven ahead of me. It was so hard. I miss her every day and look forward to being with her again. She was my best friend and my sole mate. She was by my side for everything for almost eleven years, helping me through many hardships in my life. She was always happy and strong, right up to the very end. Brandy came into my life when I was 23 and she was 6 weeks old. She helped me grow into the woman I am today. From the day I picked her out of that special litter, she was the most important thing in my life. She had this glow around her of love. She always wanted to be petted and play. She never seemed to out grow her puppiness. She was also so incredibly smart and had me very well trained. I always knew exactly want she wanted (and she usually got it.) In April 2008, I felt swollen glands on her neck which our vet was afraid it was lymphoma. The biopsy confirmed this on April 21st and on the 22nd we started chemo. Brandy bravely fought the cancer for almost 10 months. We traveled two hours away from home just about every week for the chemo. I never hospitalized her because she would have hated to be away from me. We tried so many chemo combinations. Her remissions were too short, but she kept on enjoying life. During those special 10 months that we were given, we spent even more time together than ever. We took lots of special hikes and our first and only motor home trip. We cuddled a lot. Gratefully we also had another Christmas together and Brandy celebrated her 11th birthday on January 22nd. On January 31st, I could tell she was getting tired. That was Saturday. By Monday, she was lethargic and the vet confirmed that worst…the cancer had spread to her internal organs. I gave her fluids at home for almost another two more weeks in what the vet called hospice. I gave her all the love I had until she stopped eating and she wouldn’t get up any more. Then I had to tell her it was okay to go to sleep and send her on to heaven ahead of me. I miss her every day but I know she is happy and healthy again chasing those squirrels in heaven. She was my baby and gave me unconditional love every day and never outgrew her puppylike behavior until the cancer took it from her. (Thank you for loving me, Brandy.)

Story: Brandi, our 10-year-old German Shepherd, taught us to really persevere through life’s challenges. On Monday, May 12, 2008 she was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. She had a very large tumor in a lymph node in her abdomen that pressed on her bowel, two anal sac gland tumors the size of baseballs and metastasis in her chest. The oncologist told us she might live for 2 weeks with the help of prednisone. That night I asked my Dad, who has Alzheimer’s, if she should have surgery. He told me, “No. People with tumors need to change the way they feel about others.” That’s just what Brandi did. The next morning the vet student called and told me that Brandi got into a bit of trouble at the vet hospital. She kept escaping from her cage and removing her catheter and IV. She showed her fighting spirit and that she was still full of life and the oncologist offered to try radiation and chemo to give her a few more months. She also visited a holistic vet who recommended a change in diet. He too thought she might live a few more months. Six months later the anal tumors were the size of golfballs. The oncology team called her The Wonderdog. On April 28, 2009, just two weeks shy of a year after diagnosis, Brandi crossed the Rainbow Bridge and was greeted by her myspace buddies who preceded her. Brandi, who lived a full life, having starred in a TV commercial and having both a children’s book and screenplay written about her, chased rabbits just days before the cancer paralyzed her legs. Her story is available on her myspace blog. www.myspace.com/brandisurfstheweb

Story: One week before Christmas, 2007, my family leanred that our little Sneakers had lymphoma. Our family decided that we would go ahead with treatment as long as Sneakers continued with his high quality of life. The weekly then monthy trips to the specialist were tough on everyone, but it was such a joy to see our little Sneakers play, misbehave and act as he always had. Our Sneakers was a fighter. He continued to chase the cat, go for car washes (and try to attack the water), fall asleep with my dad right after dinner, protect his loved ones and enjoy long walks in the neighborhood and forest preserves until his last day. Sadly, At the end of January, 2009, the cancer spread to Sneakers' liver and the specialist said the outlook didn't look good. As a family, we decided to put Sneakers down on February 2nd, after he enjoyed watching the Super Bowl. It has been 2 1/2 months since my best buddy left my side. The house is quiet, my bed is empty and my heart is broken. I will always miss him and will never find another like him.

Story: I have struggled over the last three months trying to save my faithful friend pebbles, I thought progress was being made with budwig programme her bone tumour seemed to be responding showing no more pain, now tonight I find she cannot stand, I have dilemma as they say with cancer after such treatments things get worse before they get better, so I will see how things develop. I do realise at times like these its good to have contact with others whom have gone through such sadness as I am going through at the moment. God Bless you all.

Story: Our dear Willie passed away on Jan 29, 2009. We don't have kids and the best way I can describe our relationship is....he was our baby, best friend, amazing co-worker and absolutely perfect canine companion! He gave us unconditional love at all times and was the best dog ever! I know everyone says that about their animals, right? Well, we just found out that Willie won Dog of the Year....a national contest put on by the company, Lebanon Turf for golf course superintendents dogs! He braced the January page of their calendar - how ironic that he will forever be Mr. January 2009!!?? We are so proud, but still so sad. Here is the letter that was sent to the golf course association to let them know about Willie. "I have just endured the worst personal tragedy that life has so far thrown to me. My wife Jen and I experienced the sudden, entirely unexpected loss of our beloved soulmate, Willie, who is up for Dog of the Year in the contest put on by Lebanon. Willie enjoyed an epic day on Tuesday 1/27, racing around in the powdery 2 inches of snow that blanketed Columbia’s golf course. He caused a bit of a raucous when he chased 3 deer across the course and right into the path of a group of sledders that were in the process of wearing down our bunker faces on the steep slope at the front of our #17 green. Little did I know that this was to be his final assignment as Columbia’s wildlife manager. After a lazy Wednesday snuggling at home with Mom (Jen) since she had the day off from work, Willie ate his normal evening dinner. An hour later, out of the blue, he became unusually lethargic. When I went over to him and he licked my face, his tongue was ice cold and his gums were pale white…he had become anemic. Jen and I rushed him to our vet, who gave him fluids and performed blood work and an X-ray. There was no conclusive information available at that time on what was wrong with Willie. Soon afterward when he regained some color, and we took him back home with the plan of getting him to the vet on Thursday morning for further diagnostic work. From midnight until around 1 AM on Thursday morning, Willie kept going to his water dish, drinking water constantly, which was unusual behavior. Jen noticed that he simply collapsed in his bed after a final drink, and was unable to get himself back up. I carried him out of the house and we rushed him to the emergency clinic. The vet there performed a stomach tap as she suspected internal bleeding. Unfortunately, she was right. Willie went into surgery to have his spleen removed, and there was a golf-ball sized malignant tumor removed. Our real nightmare set in, however, when we were informed that this aggressive cancer (hemangiosarcoma) had spread and had taken over his liver. Jen and I made the hardest decision we had faced together up to that point and elected to not wake Willie up from being put out for the spleen removal. We were told that at best he would have a day or two to live, and would be in great pain during that time. Willie was an absolute blessing to our family, our neighbors, our friends, and to the green staff and many members at Columbia Country Club. As many of us grieve our loss of Willie, what is undeniable is the incredibly blessed life that Willie had for almost 8 years. He lived his life to the absolute fullest even up to his final hours. As a golf course superintendent I feel incredibly blessed to be in a career that affords the opportunity for many professionals to have our beloved canine companions right there with us as we spend our many grueling hours at our jobs." We are most thankful that Willie did not have any suffering and at most, just felt weak from the internal bleeding for 8 hours or so. We have heard so many stories since his passing and feel truly blessed that no suffering was involved. I pray every night for those that are fighting cancer with chemo as I know the owners & dogs need the strength! Hemangiosarcoma is a horrible, horrible cancer that takes dogs lives way too fast. We need to find a cure for doggie cancer!!!! Their lives are being cut too short! Willie would have been 8 in May and the weekend before he passed away, we had multiple people during our weekend hike ask us if he was a puppy. He had such a love for life & the golf course that his youth was always shinning through! We will be blessed if we have another dog with half of his passion to please. Rest in peace, Willie!

Story: This is the story of my forever friend and soul sister, Pearl, a more than beautiful samoyed/husky mix. Over 13 years ago (when, I, too was a young 20 years old), we watched Pearl being brought into this world by her samoyed mother, Indica. Indica, who we lost almost 2 years ago to a very aggressive brain cancer, was my twin sister's dog and forever friend (who, by chance, couldn't get fixed b/c of a heart murmur). It was Sunday, January 7th, 1996. Of all the gorgeous pups, 8 white, one black and white, with eyes of blue or blue and brown--I chose Pearl, a close to runt size little lady with two brown eyes who always crossed her paws, still does. I didn't know then that decision would remarkably bless my life in so many ways that her time with me is indescriable. On Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 Pearl was diagnosed with stage 3 Primary Liver cancer after a biopsy taken Feb. 10. Pearl was up to date on all shots, just received a senior wellness profile at the end of November, tooth extraction at the same time and nothing. It wasn't until Feb. 6, when I brought her to the vet b/c of "inconstinence" or leaking that I suspected something was gravely wrong. She did eat alittle less and played less but she was 13 and still enjoyed a squirrel chase in the yard and begging for my 2 year old son's breakfast. At this time, we discovered she had fluid in her abdomen and very low alburin counts. Still, that is the only marker on her blood panel. There is nothing they can do. I am currently treating her homeopathically in order to ease the pain and when I see the happiness from her face disappear, I know I will have to make the decision to send her over the Rainbow Bridge. Words cannot explain the love I feel for Pearl and the love she has for my family and myself. It was just me and her for 6 years till I met my husband. We have went on 10's of thousands of walks, trips to the dog park, (she loved getting muddy), all across the country, and through so many apt.'s/houses, etc. Every one of those days, my night was better, b/c Pearl laid down next to me. She was a loner, who tolerated other dogs, but certainly was the queen of her castle. Even in her mature years, enjoyed a good nap in the sun, a frolic in the snow, and would lift her nose to the cold winter breeze. An avid beggar, Pearl enjoyed many things in life. She was also quite the kisser and relished a good scratch. Pearl is my best friend in more ways than I can name and the memories go on forever. It will be a sad day when those memories will be the only thing left of our time together, but, I will never forget the love, loyalty, and friendship we had and it has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I knew this time would come, but was never quite prepared. You can never prepare yourself to say goodbye to an old, faithful friend. I will love and miss you everyday, Miss Pearl!

Story: As I write this Lance is in the late stages of his recurrence. He had finished his championship and was waiting for me to finish my graduate degree and we were going to do field and obedience work. I felt the dreaded nodes in his neck and after a biopsy, found a very aggressive lymphosarcoma. He underwent Adraimycin and L spar with great success and was a clinic well known patient. Lance has always owned everything he ever saw, so his remission was no surpeise. That was in 2004. It is now 2009, and he fathered a litter of puppies through a crate of the #2 weimaraner in the country at the time! What a surprise as I had been told he would be sterile. Several are having successful show, field, and agility careers and the rest are beloved rascals with their father's brains and are full blown stinkers just like their dad. He has a vocabulary of approximately 4 words, home-mom-food- and out. I am going to miss him so much and he is truly a once in a lifetime friend. I will have his pups to comfort me a little bit, altough Lance would say "Get over it" and then go hike his leg on something.

Story: In memory of our beautiful, mischievous golden retriever. She fought so bravely these last two years. Rocky was a spunky, sweet, strong-willed golden who we had since she was 7 weeks old. When she was 9, she collapsed after a walk. Her vet, Dr. Robin Downing, quickly diagnosed her with hypoglycemia caused by a rare insulinoma that effected her pancreas. She had surgery to remove the diseased portion and she pulled through with style! We checked her blood sugar everyday and modified her diet. 2 months later, she got sick again as the islets had spread to other parts of her pancreas. She endured another surgery and almost died. We sat with her many days in the hospital and again she recovered. She was so strong and brave! She was back to her michievous ways finding trouble wherever she could. We took her for walks, camping, drives and let her rest in the sun in our backyard. She almost died again of pancreatitis (we almost put her down because she was so sick) but showed a spark of getting better and we gave her more time at the advice of her beloved vet, Dr. Robin in Windsor, CO. Were we glad we did! She recovered quickly, thrived and returned to running, playing with her golden sister, getting into trouble, etc. We took her for hour-long walks and were home with her most of the time. We kept looking to her for an indication of whether or not she wanted to keep going. We always felt that she wanted to keep living. She endured a few more setbacks from viruses that knocked her out for a few days. Because she only had 10% of her pancreas left, we had to feed her very carefully. She ate very small meals iwth a balance of Science Diet R/D, chicken broth, pumpkin, fish oil and a little white turkey meat. She also need pancreazyme powder to help her digest her meals. We had an extra year and a half with her and enjoyed it! Unfortunately, she started having trouble with back leg weakness after New Year's 2009. We thought it was a ruptured spinal disc so put her on "bed rest" and acupuncture treatments along with steroids and pain meds. We assisted her by carrying her back-end with a "sling" when she had to go outside. In the spirit of her spunkiness, she got away from us a few times and would race crazily around the backyard. Two weeks later, she had really lost her back legs - they were paralyzed. We then thought it was nerve degeneration and prepared to make a decision about whether to get a doggie cart for her back legs. It was very hard on all of us but she seemed to have her spirit still and was zipping around the yard while we carried her back-end. We continued the acupuncture and steroids and she was not in pain. On 1/26/09 we took her to her vet for evaluation and measurements for a doggie cart. Unfortunately, Dr. Robin found a large tumor on her spleen that she said was probably a fast-moving blood vessel cancer/sarcoma that had likely spread to her spine and caused the paralysis. She gave Rocky only a few days or weeks to live and sent us home with her. We were crushed but took her home with us to spend some time with her. We had been taking her out in a special wagon on "walks" so she could get out into the neighorhood. This day, it was too cold to do this. She was such a great patient and what a spirit she had. We noticed that overnight she had become very uncomfortable and her stomach area was swelling more. When Dr. Robin evaluated her the next morning, she said Rocky was in pain, was bleeding inside and failing. It seemed that Rocky needed to rest. We had no choice but to end her suffering and send her on her way across the Rainbow Bridge. We sat right with her and talked to her as she passed away peacefully. She seemed to know that her body was failing. We will always remember Rockletts and her beautiful, fun-loving spirit. She fought so valiantly - always with a golden retriever "smile" on her furry face. We love her and miss her so very much. Let's work to cure doggy cancer! Rocky loved her vet, Dr. Robin Downing and we were very lucky to have her as a partner in Rocky's care. Rocky really got a lot out of her life and lived each day to the fullest.

Story: I adopted Lord Byron when he was approximately 13 yoa - he was a stray in rural Ohio. He was with me a year and a couple of months before his health deteriorated (rapidly). He had blood work done on a routine basis (every 2-3 mos) but nothing showed up until it was too late and my vet told me he had a hemangiosarcoma (spleen). I learned about his condition on a Friday and made the painful decision to let him go on the following Monday. He was the sweetest little poodle and I only wish we would have found one another when he was younger and had more time.

Story: Benji was my beloved pet dog. He was born on 28th January 1988 and we got him on 21st March 1988. I am not sure what breed of dog he was but I think he was cross between a Jack Russell and a Spaniel. He was a lovable, friendly, gentle-natured animal. On Friday 24th June 1994, Benji had his annual booster, and nothing amiss was noticed. For the first time, whilst stroking him on 7th September 1994, I noticed that there was a small lump on the left hand side of his Benji's body. I was puzzled, but I had an instinct that it was something serious. However, at the time, Benji wasn't losing weight or appetite. I wish we had taken Benji to the vet for his booster six or seven weeks later. My Dad took Benji to the vets at Mapplewell on 26th September 1994 as the lump, though it hadn't grown in size, hadn't disappeared. Benji was terrified that afternoon, not because of the lump, but of the vets. After taking X-rays and a biopsy, the vet told my Dad to return in a week, when he would give him the results. My dad and Benji returned to learn the results of the previous week, at tea-time on Monday 3rd October 1994. The news was very grim. The vet told my dad that the lump was a cancerous tumour. However, my dad asked when the vet would be removing it via with a big operation and how much it would cost. He was then given a piece of devastating news. For whatever reason, the vet said he wouldn't be able to operate. I think the vet said the tumour had attached itself to part of his rib, and that it was very aggressive. My parents or me would have paid for the bill if it could have saved him, no matter how much it would have cost, but according to the vet, that wasn't an option. No cure. No operation. Benji was sentenced to death. My dad was too dazed to say anything, so he didn't question what the vet told him. If I had been there, and I had been thinking clearer, I would have asked the vet to remove the ribs and put artificial ones in, but I wasn't there, and to be honest, I probably would have been too dazed to say anything as well. You don't tend to think too clearly when your dog has been given a death sentence. I think, looking back, that we should have sought a second opinion, but again, nobody could think straight. The vet didn't tell my dad how long Benji had left to live though (As it turned out, he enjoyed nine weeks of excellent health in which he led a normal life, but yet, he was dead within eleven). I didn't expect this news, which seemed unreal, but the prospect of losing Benji suddenly now seemed very real. I envisaged Benji going from being an active, vigorous, energetic dog to a lame invalid in agony within the next two weeks, but thankfully, that didn't happen. I remember my dad saying, two days later, on 5th October 1994, that we should prepare ourselves to lose Benji sometime in the near future, but otherwise, until then, life will go on as before for Benji, and to prove that point, the following day, Thursday 6th October, Benji went on a walk, running like a Greyhound for a long distance whilst off the lead. Three days later, we went to the Hoyle Mill hill for the final time. It was a sunny day. Whilst Benji ran around and sniffed, I lay on my back and thought about the news that we had been told six days before, and indeed that we were going to lose him. During October 1994, despite the evil thing which had made its uninvited, unwanted and unwelcome presence on Benji's body, there were no changes to his lifestyle, which consisted of two daily dinners, a walk, a sleep and spells in the garden if the weather was fine, playing with his ball, squeaky toy or a bone. If you couldn't see the evil lump, you would have thought Benji was a long way from dying in October 1994. During that month, despite being told that the lump was an aggressive, incurable cancer, it's growth was slow. Every Halloween during his life, Benji used to bark when Trick or Treaters came down the path, but once they arrived at the door, he stopped barking and would try to get out to greet them. Halloween 1994 was no different, and Benji got up and started barking that evening when they came down the path and knocked at the door. He stopped, however, when the door was opened. October gave way to November. On the afternoon of 6th November 1994, Benji went on a walk to the Dearne Valley Walkway for the final ever time. On the late afternoon of the 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th November 1994, I took him on a walk to my Grandmother's house one mile away. On the 11th November, my Grandmother remarked how healthy and energetic Benji was, and how well he looked, despite his illness. We were able to leave Benji alone for most of the day on 20th November, when we went to Thoresby Market, before I took him on a walk that evening to the field at Monk Bretton. Three days after that, I took him for a walk around both the fields at Monk Bretton, for the last ever time, though I wasn't to know that then. Our final long walk together took place on 27th November. On the 29th November he went to my Grandmother's on a walk. That morning, Benji raced down the field. He then waited for my mum at the garden gate. When she opened it, Benji ran down my Grandmothers garden and he jumped up at her, wagging his tail. Inside, he wolfed down the boiled Ham she had bought for him the previous Saturday, drank the water, and laid down for a while. Despite the tumour's unchecked growth during November, on the morning of Friday 2nd December, Benji was well enough to be able to go to my Grandmother's, with my mother. Again, he ran down the field like a greyhound, non-stop, until he reached the garden gate. However, the first sign of a physical deterioration in Benji's health showed itself on the evening of 5th December 1994 at the same field. His walking remained fine and that evening Benji could still run like a greyhound, but for the first time in his life, he had to stop, before he could run again. This had been unthinkable, let alone unseen before now. Despite his reduced ability to run, Benji's health remained stable during the next seven days, and he went for a walk there on most days. The last time Benji and me ever went for a walk together was on the evening of 11th December 1994. Benji managed to walk around the field without stopping. Even that evening, he ran at lightning speed for about 20 yards on three separate occasions, but had to stop for about two minutes in-between. Benji wanted to run like a greyhound for a long distance, but his body wouldn't let him. Over 20 yards, Benji would have easily outran me, but over 40 yards I would have outran him. Again, this was unthinkable before. Whilst Benji and I were walking around the field, I accepted that we would have to let him go within the next two to three months, and that this Christmas and his birthday on the 28th January would be definitely the final one's that he was ever going to see. I knew that Benji definitely wouldn't be around the following summer, but at the same time, I had no idea that this would be the case by the end of the week, or that this would be the final time Benji would ever go to that field. Tuesday 13th December 1994 was when Benji's health rapidly deteriorated. That morning, he was shivering and struggled to get out of his basket when fed, though he made it. However, shivering isn't a sign of pain in a dog, but that they are cold. We covered Benji in blankets. He didn't cry or howl though. If he was in pain, we would have phoned the vet and had put him on painkillers, or even taken the grim measure that was to follow. That morning, I also noticed that a swelling had appeared in his back legs. He didn't go on a walk on that day. It would have been cruel to force him to. Benji's condition improved a shade on the 14th December, to the extent that he was able to go on a short walk to the Garages. On the 15th, there was no change in his health either way, but his back legs continued to swell, which caused us deep concern. Both the 14th and 15th December passed quietly for Benji, as he was mainly in the house, sleeping or lying either in his basket or on the kitchen carpet. Even though his back legs were swollen, and the tumour now was of a large size, (It grew quickly during the first half of December 1994), Benji was not totally listless, as he played with his squeaky toy on the Wednesday evening for a time. Nor was Benji immobile. He was able to walk about the house and the garden. The movement in his front legs were unaffected. Benji was never incontinent. His character didn't change either. I thought that those final days might have made him bad tempered and he would have been excused for being so. If he had growled or whined, it would have been understandable, but he did neither. He was still a sweet natured, gentle soul. When I came in during the final days of his life, he still wagged his tail and walked towards me for a stroke and a cuddle, which of course I gave him. Just after 1am on Friday 16th December 1994, Benji was asleep in his basket. He woke when I came into the kitchen. I stroked Benji, hugged him, sat and talked to him for about 10 minutes. I then kissed him goodnight on the top of his head and rubbed his chest. My final words were, in a soft voice, "Goodnight Benji". I turned my back, looked at him, and then went to bed, this being the final time that I would ever see him. Within 11 hours, Benji's life was over. Just after nine on the morning of Friday 16th December 1994, my mum decided to make the heartbreaking, but necessary decision to have Benji put to sleep. She woke me up and told me that the time had arrived. My mum said she was going to phone the vet later that morning, but also that Benji was going to die in his own home. I didn't get up that morning, because I didn't want to see his end. I knew his health had suddenly and dramatically deteriorated from the 13th December, but I hadn't mentally prepared myself for this. I am normally the sort of person who can face anything, but that morning, I lay in bed, before eventually falling asleep again. I was fast asleep when Benji died, and will forever be grateful that I was. However, even at this very late stage, Benji wasn't finished. Showing courage and determination with less than two hours to live, he slowly, but steadily, got out his basket, and finished off a meal, in a standing position, as if to say, "If I am going to go, I am going out with defiance". He didn't even leave a scrap! Benji's appetite never went at all. My mum shortly afterwards took Benji for a walk to the garages nearby, for the final time. As incongruous to what was going to happen, the sun was out and the sky was blue. That morning, Benji would have struggled to walk to the local field, let alone run, but was able to walk around the garages, as there was, and still is, some grass there. Though he couldn't run, he walked around without any difficulty. He was independent and off the lead. If another dog had come, he might have pretended to be deaf and walked away! That morning, he sniffed around the grass in peace, wagging his tail, just as curious about his surroundings as on the very first day we brought him home. After 15 minutes, he walked back to my mum, indicating he'd had enough. Shortly afterwards, my mum phoned the vet who said that Benji's illness was inoperable just over two months earlier. He had treated Benji since he was a puppy. After arriving, the vet assured my mum that Benji wasn't feeling any pain whatsoever. However, he told my mum that edema had set in, causing the swelling in his hind legs. He said it was for the best that Benji passed away like this. If present, I may have asked something like, "Why didn't you operate? Why did it have to come to this?". If I saw the vet today, I might ask him why he didn't put Benji on chemotherapy tablets to try to shrink the tumour, if it was inoperable. The vet told my mum that Benji could well have lived to see the New Year, but that might have meant him being in severe pain, or becoming incontinent, or immobile, or being found dead in his basket one morning, as the edema would have gone to his heart and killed him. Thankfully, he, and we, escaped all of those horrific options, and as a result, though he had finally become ill, he spent his final days in dignity, in the warmth and comfort of his home, with his family who loved him. In late morning, Benji was laid in his basket when my mum said, "Come on Benji, over here" in a soft voice, as she was stood near the living room door. Benji got out of his basket, wagged his tail and did exactly that by walking over to her. My mum hugged Benji for one last time and rubbed his chest. She kissed him, and said goodbye like I did, and held him when the grim deed was done. Benji slowly closed his eyes, like he would do when conning us over food, only that he wouldn't ever open them again, and seconds later, shortly after 11.30am on Friday 16th December 1994, it was all over. Benji's life had come to an abrupt and premature end. However, he also passed away silently and painlessly, whilst in my mum's arms.

Story: my molly died 8 years old took her to get her teeth cleaned they found a tumar 3 days later we had to put her to sleep this dog did not eat anything but liver and chicken breast in sauce never ate any dog bones was taken for all her shots had heartwarm pills never walked into the vet my husband carried her in had a closed in yard closed in porch she had everything she is a scotty pure breed so tell me why she died i cannot understand this i am havig a hard time with this i loved her so much i miss her so tell me why the vet said that scotties terriers are known to have cancer i dont know if i could handle this olease tell me why gaspump44@verizon.net

Story: Gabby was diagnosed with osteo sarcoma in November 2008. She had a "knot" on her head. We had surgery on the tumer, but it was in the bone and we were told she had 6 weeks to 6 months to live. We lost Gabby on January 10, 2009. This is a horrible and painful disease. She was doing fine up until Friday, started to limp on Friday and by Saturday she couldn't walk and was crying from pain. We loved our girl for 8 1/2 years and will miss her forever.

Story: Beau was diagnosed with lymphoma only 1 week after his 4th birthday. He put up a great fight, for 5 months he was cancer free and dealt very well with the chemo treatments. After the 5 months, we tried everything CCNU, MOPP, DMAC, then the first week of January we got Beau up to NCSU for a BMT (bone marrow transplant), they harvested his blood, but determined that he was infested with cancer cells (72%), my 7 month and $9,000.00 journey had ended. I had to put Beau down on 1/8/09. My little Angel is no longer in pain and in a better place than I am right now.

Story: Rocky was diagmosed with a cancer tumor of his lower left jaw, we are fighting it with herbs and medical treatment. My beloved son is 13 years young and I wont give up on him because he has never left my side or given up on me!

Story: I have made a donation to the Canine Cancer Campaign, in memory of Magnus. I cannot think of a better cause or tribute than to help find a cure for this devastating disease. Magnus fought his cancer with strength and dignity - unfortunately passing away October 6, 2008. I was both honored and privileged to be a part of his remarkable life. Magnus introduced me to his extraordinary guardians, Melissa and Jon, and they are now among my closest friends. A day does not pass by that the Urban Dog Market does not miss his presence. Magnus was truly a gentle giant, a wonderful friend, a perfect co-worker and an unforgettable soul. In his honor, I support and hope for a cure for cancer.

Story: We fought the battle with her and she lost. Our girl "Molly" was diagnosed with osteo sarcoma on September 3, 2008. With just the words spoken it sent us into tears and fear of her future. We immediately brought her to U.C. Davis Animal Hospital for a second opinion. We hoped and prayed for a different outcome. The Dr.'s did a complete and thorough check and the results were the same. She required amputation of the left front leg giving her a chance to live anywhere from 3 months to 1 year. Hopefully caught in the early stage it was possible she could live longer. She was 9 years 3 months young. We decide we would do everything possible to save her life. She was otherwise very healthy and happy. The surgery was scheduled for September 30, 2008. The day after surgery she walked out of the hospital on 3 legs as what she is now known as a tripawd. She was beautiful. Her recovery was short and she seemed to adjust very quickly to being on 3 legs. Her happy spirit returned and she was doing everything she did in the past, going for walks, greeting visitors at the door, caring for our feline family, playing with her toys again. She started her chemo tratments. She was 2 weeks into her 1st treatment when she started hacking and coughing. We thought it to be part of the chemo treatment and possible nausea so we gave her mediation to help. On Nov. 10th she experienced a terrible cough with blood spatters. This sent the alarms off and we called U.C. Davis to report the problem. She was returned to the Dr.'s for x-rays and blood tests. When the Dr.'s took us into the exam room to await the results we prayed for good news. Molly bounds into the room with tail wagging and spirits high but the Dr. followed with the worst news ever, it was fatal and shocking news. She had less than 2 months to live. The cancer had gone to her lungs. Take her home, spoil her, give her ice cream, buy her a hamburger, love her. We couldn't stop crying. We returned home hoping that the next 2 months would be comfortable for her. But that was short lived. Within 24 hours she was gravely ill, coughing up blood. We knew we had to do the compationate, humane thing for her. We requested the vet to come to our home and she was laid to rest in our arms with our loving family by her side. She has crossed over the rainbow bridge and is running with all 4 legs, happy and healthy once again. We cry everyday and there is a hole in our hearts. We can't seems to get past the pain of loosing her. She was a beautiful girl who stole our hearts the moment we met her 9 yrs. 5 months ago. She has traveled with us the entire western U.S. in our motorhome, walked many paths enjoying nature, swam in streams, lakes and rivers and at the end of a day she loved to share our bed at night nestled between us. She touched many human hearts during her life. We now live with fond memories of her and we will never forget it.

Story: Logan was lost one year ago to Hemangiosarcoma. He died within 30 days of his diagnosis. Hemangiosarcoma is a blood borne, rapidly advancing form of cancer. Please support any organization that works to figure out how to avoid or eradicate this awful disease.

Story: Prada my Lap/Pointer mix was adopted from a shelter at 8 weeks old. Just 2 weeks after turning 2 years old she just was not acting like her puppy self, she was very lathargic,coughing alot, foaming at the mouth, only wanted to lay in bed. We took her to the vet, expecting a respiratory infection, but instead found out she had a huge tumor in her chest, it was compressing her lungs and heart, the vet could not even hear or lungs or heart beat. At this time we transported her to Michigan State University only to find out with out treatment she maybe had 1 week left and with Chemo maybe 6-9 months. It was 2 years in Feb. since diagnosis and will be 2 years since the end of treatement in September and I am happy to say she just celebrated her 4th birthday!!! We are so so thankful for the research and treatment that MSU provided. I am also very excited to hear about the Morris foundation and this website.

Story: Murphy was diagnosed with lymphoma after I noticed him behaving strangely, and I could tell something was wrong. The vet and our family tried everything but it was too late, God how I wish I would have known sooner maybe I could have done more. Now I just miss him being around. At least the CCC is trying to cure this disease to save other dogs, thank you for that.

Story: Tiki was diagnosed with Large Cell Lymphoid Leukemia on her 5th birthday. We attempted chemo, but 9 days after her diagnosis we had to let her go. She was an absolutely amazing dog and she filled a hole in my heart that I didn\'t even know existed.

Story: Oh, how i wish I had found this website and these research studies 6 months ago. My Irish Wolfhound, Becca, began holding her right hind leg up while she was eating, in mid November, 2007. The vet x-rayed her hip, and checked for ACL damage, gave me a Rx for Prevacox. It made her sick, so we switched to Rimadyl. She seemed to improve somewhat, but in early January she was holding the leg up even with the Rimadyl. Back to the vet, who found osteosarcoma just above the hock joint. He advised against amputation, because of her size, and because he said in his 20+ years of practice only one dog had survived past one year from diagnosis - due to metastasis. We added Tramadol to the Rimadyl, and she seemed to be happy, although not using that back leg. In March, the cancer ate through the bone all the way, and I sent her to the Rainbow Bridge. My heart aches every day.

Story: Our sweet schnoodle Lily contracted mast cell cancer in the spring of 2007. She had a tumor removed in May of that year but by September we noticed that the tumor had not only returned but had multiplied in the area (left side toward her hind leg). After a couple ineffective rounds of prednizone from our vet we took her to a well known veterinary school in Massachusetts in December to see what else could be done. After a whole day of testing it was found that Lily\'s cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and her bone marrow. At the rate that her cancer was progressing, Lily would only live a few more weeks. They suggested weekly chemo treatments, but after much contemplation and prayer we felt that at 12 1/2 years of age the 3-hour round trip each week would be too tiring for Lily, not to mention the side effects, and that it wouldn\'t cure her but just prolong her life a few more weeks or months. It wouldn\'t have been a good quality of life at that point and we feel to this day that we made the right decision. So we brought her home and spoiled her and spent as much time as we could with her for the last weeks of her life. Our only consolation was that she didn\'t realize how sick she truly was. Lily taught us to enjoy each day as a gift, to take nothing for granted, to eat with gusto, and to run free in our dreams. Our sweet little Lily died on January 18, 2008, 6 weeks after her testing in Massachusetts, and we miss her terribly. We have since talked to so many people whose dogs have had cancer. It\'s incredible that canine cancer is so widespread today, and a cure needs to be found so that these animals who ask so little during their lives, but who give us so much joy and love, can be free of this disease. Cancer takes too many loved ones from us, whether human or canine.

Story: My dog jorja had cancer she got the first little lump removed they said we would have to wait and see if they got it before it spread a few months later she developed a huge lump about the size of your fist on her neck we though she had just popped her shoulder out so we took her to the vet a week later and they said thats cancer and its too big we will have to get her put down :( so they did ive been depresed ever since :( im only 11 why did they have to take her from me :(

Story: Daisy died at age 6 1/2 after exploratory surgery Thursday September 20 2007. The Cancer had spread everywhere. We were unaware she had cancer we lost her that day she did not come home. We need to make pet owners aware of Canine Cancer and we need more research so our pets do not have to suffer.

Story: Pepper (Also known as my Furry little daughter) was 13 years old Dec 2007. She is now almost 13 1/2 years old. In Feb of 2008 she started developing a rapid growing tumor on her left side towards the back. She\'s always been a very proud dog so when she was starting to become unable to get around because of it, it changed her entire mood. We took her to the Vet full-well knowing what the answer would be. Sure enough she had developed K9 Breast cancer. And given her advanced age, and also the fact that she had a pre-existing heart condition it made the prognosis very grim. We were informed that this is common in female dogs who have not been spade. (So if you\'re reading this and you have a female do which you do not plan to breed anymore, PLEASE have her spade if for no other reason than to prevent problems in her later years). Well at that point we were faced with a decision, we were told what would happen if we did nothing (which was not very nice, for us or for my poor pepper), and were also informed that she would only have a 20% chance of making it through the anesthesia because of her age and heart problems. And also were informed of the cost. Well, cost was not a factor. As you all undoubtably know, when a member of the family is sick you do what you must do to give them every chance of pulling through with a decent quality of life. Well we wasted no time and decided to move forward with the operation even with the ods. I figured 20% chance of surviving and feeling better, is better than a 0% chance of a painless future. We all spent the last 24 hours before the operation with her, praying for the best but knowing the ods. We wanted to make sure that whatever the outcome, she would feel loved. Well the day of the operation was one of the most nerve-wrecking days of my life. We all waited for the phone to ring, partially afraid of the sound of the bell, but also hoping and praying for the best. Four hours after it started, the phone rang. She had made it through the operation, was awake, and they had gotten all of the detectable traces of the tumor. Removing the affected area, including two ovarian cysts. They determined nothing had spread to the lungs, and that she should make a complete recovery. She has since become an inspiration to all of us, and she is as I am, a Cancer Survivor! She beat the ods, and her love and inspiration has become a guiding light for many others now.

Story: Maggie is our beautiful 8 year old Catahoula mix, rescued from the Humane Society at the age of 6 months. She was acting differently on 9/22/2007, so we took her to the vet, they did an ultrasound, and found a lot of blood in her abdomen and a mass on her spleen. They did an emergency splenectomy, and the diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma came on 9/27/2007. We had a consult at the Texas A&M Veterinary School, and were referred to an oncologist locally. Maggie had 4 rounds of IV doxorubicin, and on 1/3/2008 we were looking to start an antiangiogenesis protocol. An ultrasound that day revealed a small mass on her liver. She had a small bleed on 1/23/2008, and seemed to be recovering. Another large bleed on 1/26/2008 took her life. Maggie will always be our forever girl. Stubborn, beautiful, long-eyelashed, tennis ball catcher, snugglebunny, howler-extraordinaire, walka-with-Dad taker, doofus, fluffy-butt. We miss you our girlie. So much. You\'re always with us, and we\'ll love you forever.

Story: Gator was diognosed with cancer 2 years ago . My family thought that he would die that very week.So we decided to spoil him as much as possible.Personally i prayed for him.I Guess it worked he now can clear five steps just to get a squirel

Story: Lost Puppy today after a 1 1/2 year fight with cancer. First bone cancer--with a limb amputation (totally worth it) and then nasal cancer. We will miss her dearly. I am so sick of CANCER killing the people and animals we love as our family members!

Story: Tifanny was dx w/Lymphoma at the age of seven. Her ophthalmologist \'saw\' it through her eyes...so to speak. Over-vaccination, I truly believe, was the cause. Chemotherapy, holistic therapies, dietary changes, and love all helped to put the cancer into remission for nine months; long enough for T to celebrate her 8th birthday (and we\'d thought she had \'licked\' the bugger!). Unfortunately, it came back with a vengeance and we saw it again, in her eyes. The eyes truly show so much...The friends we\'ve made as a result of the year Tifanny lived with the cancer (she LIVED, believe me! there was no stopping her) has brought this atrocity to the attention of many fur-parents. What I learned helped that year helped with my husband was dx with cancer-we knew what to do to fight it. Let\'s band together to learn more and help everyone!

Story: When Jerry\'s regular vet just kept prescribing different pain meds for a persistent limp he insisted was arthritis, we decided to take Jerry to the renowned veterinary teaching hospital at UC Davis, California. Our only regret is that we didn\'t go sooner! The incredible staff and students there identified a large osteosarcoma tumor and amputated Jerry\'s front left leg. Jerry bounced back the next day, quite literally. He wouldn\'t even get on the cart to be wheeled out of the hospital. He hopped up to us with a smile, glad to be free of the pain. That was Thanksgiving Day, 2006 and the doctors gave us a prognosis of 3 to 4 months. As I write this in mid December, 2007, I am happy to say we have proved them wrong. Within a couple weeks Jerry was back to his playful self. And not long after that, he was catching Frisbees on the beach, and swimming. Yes, three legged dogs can swim! We have the movies to prove it, and you can see them on Jerry\'s canine cancer resource blog at www.tripawds.com! For the past six months, we have been traveling cross-country with Jerry, spreading the word that life on three legs ain\'t so bad. After all, it is better to hop on three legs than to limp on four. Drop by tripawds.com today to see where Jerry is now and read all about his special diet, the supplements he takes, and other health tips.

Story: We bred Chance and he was sold but the sale fell through so you could say we took a chance on keeping take a chance (pet name chance). As a puppy he wasn\'t all that stunning, but his breed takes about 2 years to mature. He did very well in the show ring and took to Millie his kennel mate very well. He slept on my bed most nights with his other house mates. At 1 year old he had his a nice coat and started doing very well on a breed level. April we had a big show and he was 2 and looking stunning with coments being made such as \" he will win the royal this year on a breed level, and he is looking really good.\" At our breed championship show he won Runner up Best In Show which is very good. Dad said if he won he would transfer ownership to me. At the end of July we had a small local show and he was out of sorts with a slight runny nose, had lost weight (we put it down to Millie being away from him because of seasons) we took him to the vet on Wednesday and he said the blood cell count was wrong. I knew what this ment as we had started studying blood results at tafe. It took 3 weeks to come to the conclusion it was Myloid Cancer (in the bone marrow) during this time his condition worsened with him not eating and not being able to stand he would hit the floor as he would not sit or lay down. For these 3 weeks I slept on the floor in the loungeroom with arms out in front of me with Chance between them so if he did fall he didn\'t hurt himself. With the diagnosed finalized the vet gave him 6 weeks. We put him to sleep 3 days after the diagnoses. He now lays at the front gate of the property with an Angel statue on top of him with his only children who also didn\'t survive buried around him. And on August the 16th the sun hits the angel and it lights up. To this day I still talk to him and will continue to do so until the day I die and rejoin him.

Story: Chulo, our red Aussie, earned his wings on the night of the 28th of November, 2007. We took him to the our vet because he had developed a really bad cough the night prior. We thought it was kennel cough. It was there that he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart on the 27th. We rushed him to an emergency clinic where after other tests showed he had cancer in his liver and in his heart. We decided to bring him home and spend his remaining time with us. Little did we know that he wouldn\'t be with us for to much longer. He didn\'t seem to be himself but being the trooper he was, he stuck it out and acted as normal as possible. He just had to rest a lot more. They told us there was nothing we could do and that he could go at any time. They said let him do what ever he wants to do. That night he slept with us and let us comfort him. He was so independent this was odd for him but, he seemed to get comfort from it as much as we did. The next day, we took him to the park, rides in the car and he played with his brothers all day. That night he seemed to be slowing down and stopped eating and his breathing became harder and harder for him. He tried to sleep but couldn\'t get comfortable and began just to stand up. His eyes were so tired. The vet said that when it was time, he would tell us and sure enough, he followed us and looked at us with his deep brown eyes and told us it was time. We wanted to be selfish and keep him with us but he told us it was time and we could tell (even his brothers) that he was now in pain. We took him to the emergency room and said our last goodbyes. We held him as he left this world. We know he in a better place and no longer hurts. He can swim and play all day now. It was the hardest thing we have ever had to do. He was loving, loyal and so smart. He did two things for us to let us know it was alright: When we first brought him home with us nine and a half years ago, he threw up in my lap (I think he got car sick) and just to be funny up until the end, he threw up one last time (which he hadn\'t done in a really long time). We just moved to palm springs and if you know PS, it NEVER RAINS. Knowing how much I love the rain the following day it rained all day and night, more than it has in what we found out was about 5 or 8 years. The following morning was amazingly beautiful. We take tat as a sign that he is OK, misses us but we made the right decision. We will always miss and love you, thank you for the time we had and the memories we made. Until we meet again...... Your dads and ,-._,-. \\/)\"(\\/ (_o_) Ruff!...your brothers

Story: I found Candy at an animal shelter. She was the only one that was not barking. She sat at the back just shaking from being so scared. The minute I put my hand to her cage she walked up and licked my hand, ever so gently. I took her into my family that day. Since then we have been hiking, biking, horseback riding together, you name it. This little girl was unstoppable. I have had so many physical problems in my own life and all the while, my little girl never left my side. I can\'t tell you how much hope and inspiration she always gave me without saying a word. Of course she was never left alone, my father would babysit during the day and he too is sooooo in love with her. She is 13 now and has been diagnosed with lymphoma cancer. I have tried to do this the naturalpathic way because she had starting having seizures a couple of years ago and did not want to put her through the conventional approach. I have always fed her the best food I could find, I thought I did everything right. So why does she have to leave me. I may only have her for a few more days or a few more weeks at this point. But what I do know is that I owe it to her to what is best for her. I don\'t know how to be strong right now, because I have cried solid for the last 2 months. God, how I pray she knows how much I love her and how I will miss her every day until we are together again. Because I will not have lost an animal, I will have lost my baby.

Story: our story is about maggir the boxer. Maggie was diagnosed in May 2007 with lymphoma. she started her chemo treatment in atown 50 miles from home. during maggies treatments i had some medical issues myself, the doctors thought i had lung cancer and sent me to the same town to have test ran for me. week after week i would take maggie to her chemo and i would go down the road to the humabn cancer center for test for myself. it ended up that i had surgery all along maggie stilltaking chemo herself but my out come was so much better than maggies, there was no cancer to be found in me after all but through it all maggie ws with me comforting me, maggie is a certified TDI dog and was so good at her therapy dog skills everyone everywhere loved her but we lost her oct9 2007 to this cancer, she was 1 month shy of her 5th birthday. ou hearts are broke and we miss her dearly, our family wants to do all thats possible to help this foundation win the war with cancer

Story: Tony is a beautiful Beagle mix. He has been diagnosed with lymphoma. For the first thirty years of my life I never understood how or why people loved their dogs so much, but after we rescued Tony this past summer, I now completely and totally understand that love. He\'s simply the best friend that a person could have. Even more than that, Tony has taught me more about living life than I ever thought possible. From him, I\'ve learned how important it is to be loyal, to enjoy a simple walk in the fresh air and to play every day, no matter what else may be going on. I\'m so very sad that my friend is most likely going to go away soon, but I\'m very happy that I got to have him in my life, even though our time was too short.

Story: Our precious Zuni was diagnosed with terminal transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder just 3 days before Christmas 2005. It was a devastating blow as she was 12 years old and always healthy. We had noticed she would \"pee\" more frequently on our hikes but I just thought she was peeing on spots that other dogs had marked. There was not a lot we could do as far as treatment because the involved area had extended too wide to do surgery. We had her on medication and she did really well. She lived another 9 months and did really well until the last week when we made the decision to let her cross over the Rainbow Bridge. With the care and dignity our veterinarian provided we were able to let that happen at home. We cherished every moment she was with us both before and after her diagnosis.

Story: Chaser sometimes shuffled along like an old lady dog, but mention ‘the C word’ (cookie) and she magically transformed into a spry puppy. Of course, you’d have to holler “cookie” or she wouldn’t hear you. Her hearing wasn’t so great. Still, for a 14-year old Brittany, the old girl was more than holding her own. There was absolutely no compelling reason to visit the veterinarian anytime soon, except I had been preaching the gospel of twice annual vet visits in my print columns, on my radio shows and on TV appearances. So, I oughta practice what I preached. Still, I wasn’t worried about anything being wrong with Chaser. After all, if anyone should pick up on subtle signs of illness in pets – it’s me. Right? While I’m not a veterinarian, for many years now I’ve written and broadcast about veterinary medicine, giving me just enough knowledge to be dangerous. A few days before my scheduled vet visit, I noticed a growth on Chaser’s back end. I had a bad feeling about this, which our veterinarian Dr. Sheldon Rubin confirmed, identifying the growth as mast cell cancer. Of all the words in the dictionary – cancer may be the one we least want to hear. Rubin, renowned for his skills as a surgeon, assured me, “We caught this early, and that could save your dog’s life.” Still, I couldn’t help but picture what all pet owners do at these times. A little movie played in my head – all while my eyes welled with tears. The mini-documentary of Chaser’s life began with my wife Robin and me rescuing her when she was about seven months old. Unfortunately, poor Chaser was afraid of everything - strange people, other dogs, even fire hydrants. Whenever she was in public she looked so pitiful that even Chicago’s finest questioned us, thinking she was a stolen or abused dog. I recalled Chaser’s separation anxiety. Whenever I closed the door of my bathroom to do my business, she did her business on the other side. She also piddled whenever we left the house. As veterinary behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman once said separation anxiety dogs “love too much.” I don’t know that a dog can literally love us too much, but clearly Chaser and I were connected as I never had been before with a pet. My wife became a desperate dog housewife. One time when we left the house, she blew up a picture of me, draped an old worn t-shirt around it, and played a recording of my voice. She figured if Chaser could see, smell and hear me – she wouldn’t be so upset by my departure. It didn’t work. This creative approach pre-dated the use of anti-anxiety medications in pets and veterinary behaviorists, who today could offer help. I hung in there – and over time Chaser underwent a Pygmalion transformation into my fair confident canine. Can you believe, I thought about all of this while Rubin simply added, “I’ll do the surgery in a few days.” He did. Due to the location of the tumor (which was removed and further analyzed), and Chaser’s advanced age, there was no advantage of continued treatment (such as chemotherapy or radiation). Veterinary oncologist Dr. Barbara Kitchell at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing said, “If Chaser can make it a year (without recurrence after surgery), you’ll probably be in the clear.” By golly she did. You can beat cancer. Sure, she did have a few bad days immediately following the surgery, but it didn’t take long for her to bounce back. There was no fountain of youth. Over time, I wished they had made walkers and hearing aid for dogs. However, on her own, she learned when our younger dog, named Lucy, barked, there must be a reason – so she we would too. More important, whenever our other pup headed in the direction of the kitchen, she realized it was worthwhile to follow. And if you hollered that ‘C word’ (cookie) loud enough, a year plus after the surgery, she’d still compete in the run down the hallway to the cookie jar. Rubin said that if I had waited more than six more months (for her annual check up, as opposed to going in for a bi-annual exam) - the cancer would have been too wide spread for a surgical option or the tumor would have grown in size too large to be operable. Kitchell was blunt: “You simply wouldn’t have Chaser anymore if you hadn’t made that six month appointment.” The American Veterinary Medical Association and Ft. Dodge Animal Health (pharmaceutical/vaccine manufacturer for pets) are supporting a campaign to encourage twice annual routine wellness exams for all pets. Learn more at www.nationalpetwellness.com. Approximately a year and a half after the surgery, I woke up one morning, and Chaser just didn’t seem right. She also had some difficulty breathing. After X-Raying her lungs, Rubin suggested she had bronchitis, and prescribed a bronchodilator and antibiotic. She improved. But about two weeks later, Chaser spontaneously turned down a meal. When that happened, we new something was very wrong. This time, the X-Ray showed her lungs were filled with cancer. This cancer, not likely in any way related to her earlier mast cell cancer. We euthanized her less than 24 hours later, as her condition quickly declined. A piece of my heart will always be missing. For a dog Chaser’s size, one canine year for us is about as equivalent to six or eight “dog years.” When a person is diagnosed with cancer, and with minimally invasive surgery as the only treatment – who wouldn’t turn down another six to eight quality years? She lived for more than a year after the surgery – not bad. We’re grateful for every moment we had with Chaser. And, to be honest, I suppose we took too many of those moments for granted. It’s likely in just the time it’s taken to reader this story, another dog has just died of cancer. We can’t allow all these deaths to be in vain. To honor all these dogs – each with a stories of their own…How can we possibly not do everything in our power to support the Morris Animal Foundation initiative to Cure Canine Cancer? How great it would be if Lucy (our other dog), who is now 12 and Ethel, our puppy, are never diagnosed with that C word. It’s possible – and we can help make it happen.

Story: It was June 5th, 2005 when I got the call from my vet for the results of the biopsy. I knew deep in my heart that the small lump I found between Diesel’s teeth was cancer. Osteosarcoma! Osteosarcoma? Osteosarcoma… The word hit my ear and I fell into a pool on the floor and cried for hours, which turned to days and weeks… It just did not make sense! Diesel was only 2.5 years old at the time of his diagnosis. The dog of my dreams, the Doberman I had worked my entire life for… we were on the track to achieving all of our goals. It is hard to believe how fast the first year flew by while dealing with such difficult things. The summer was a sad time full of diagnosis, surgery, and chemo... it is as if the season just passed without me. It was one of the most difficult times in my life as I had to watch my soul-mate dog go through all of it. That is until I allowed myself to open up to the lessons. I am a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason and there is a life lesson packed into each and every thing that comes our way. When Diesel\'s OSA diagnosis was new and felt like an open wound to my heart I was closed off to the lesson that was hiding behind the pain. But his great spirit forced that wound to heal and to teach me that so much of illness is in the mind. Diesel trooped through each and every surgery, vet appointment, and chemo session with a wagging nubbin, and a stuffed duck in his mouth. He did not know he was diagnosed with cancer - all he knew is that he got to go for lots of car rides, got to meet all sorts of cool new people, when he felt a bit of stress he chomped \"ducky\" and when tired he preferred to sleep in his dog cot shaded by the tree in the back yard. I realized it was my human brain that latched onto \"the diagnosis\" and he could care less about the word cancer. Thanks to the support of the wonderful people on the email list BoneCancerDogs I was able to make and own Diesel\'s treatment plan. I worked hard and found happy medium that makes my human-brain content and while staying open to the dog spirit. My human-brain requires a stringent cancer diet, supplements, fish oils, herbs, exercise, lots of water, and a daily dose of Colorado sunshine. In respect for his dog spirit I don\'t allow myself to worry about him in his presence, and I have forced myself to stop treating him like he is ill. His dog senses, after-all, where beginning to wonder why in the world mamma was acting so weird. Now over two years later with my amazing dog still at my side. I am able to appreciate the fact I can own the decisions that I made for my dog, and that we have learned so much together over the couple of years and that I have been able to share this time together with him. By no means has this journey been easy or the lessons easily acceptable - but this has been our journey, perhaps it will help give a piece of hope to just one new person that gets the dreaded cancer diagnosis in their animal. To those of you brand new to this battle - I understand the actual physical pain that your heart endures when first dealing with this diagnosis and the chaos that surrounds you while trying to decide what to do. Just member… there are no wrong decisions! They have the will to survive… we just have to find them the way!

Story: Bizzy was born on April 26, 1996. He was diagnosed with cancer about two years ago in 2004, he was nine years old. At first, we did not know what was wrong with him because be kept on peeing on himself. He never wanted to go outside or play with his ballie. We thought, he is getting old that is why he does\'nt want to play or bark anymore. We took him to the vet and the vet told us that we should get him neutered. So about a week later we took him to a place that does free neutering, which in my eyes was a huge mistake. When we got to the place it was already crowded, our name was about the tenth on the list. They told us to leave the dog and we would pick him up later. When we got there later that day out dog looked like he was the last one to be operated on, he could barely walk and on his paper it had \"warning, or aggressive\" something like that, I can\'t remember. on our way home i told my parents i had a bad feeling about this place. I had a feeling that they did his sugery last. I know Bizzy, he was a very protective dog. No one could even pass in front of our house without him barking at them. He liked no one, except for his family. So I believe that he probably did not want the people to touch him. So we got home and he was doing fine. About a month later his condition worsened. All he did was slept he did nothing else, he greeted you at the door and went back to bed, he no longer barked. Anytime he attempted to pee outside he was straining to pee. He strained so hard to pee that he would pass gas. A couple of months later he did not even want to go outside so my parents decided to take him back to the vet. The vet said that he would open him up to see what was wrong with him. so the date was set it was on August 12, 2004. i will never forget this day because that would be the last day Bizzy would come home. My parents took him early in the morning and they told me that Bizzy went willingly with the doctor. The doctor said that he would call immediately when he knew what was wrong with the dog. At around my mom said the vet called and told her that there was nothing he could do because the cancer had spread to his bladder. At around 1 o\'clock i got a call from mom saying that I should come home. I kept asking her whats wrong, but she wouldn\'t answer me. i could hear in her voice that she was crying so I knew it was bad news. I told my job that i had to leave and took the next train home. My brother picked me up from the train station and I asked him what\'s wrong with Bizzy, he just started crying i knew then that something was really wrong. When I got my parents and sister was sitting on the sofa. My sister just got in from work and she was crying so I knew this had to be bad. My mother then told me that Bizzy had cancer and that they were going to put him to sleep because there was nothing that the doctor could do. I broke down and started weeping. i could not believe it that my precious Bizzy would not ever be coming home. I asked them what time we were going to leave the house to go to the vet\'s office they said that we would leave at five. I cried the whole time. I cried all the way to the vets office. When we went into the office to say our final goodbye. Bizzy was so happy his tail was wagging. My entire family was crying. We took out other dogs Tiny and Lucy so that they too would say goodbye. When Tiny went to Bizzy it looked as if Bizzy told tiny something as if to say you are now in charge. We stayed with him for about twenty minutes. we did not stay for his last breath because it would be too hard. We decided to het him cremated. Everyone in my family was so heart broken. there was nothing else we could do, if we kept him alive the vet said that he would suffer and punish and would die in a couple of months so we made the best possible decision. this decision was made because no one in my family wanted to have to find his body when we woke up or came from work or school. i cried that entire night, i could not go to sleep. I had to go to sleep in my parents room. When I woke up the next moring I looked on the side of the bed a place where Bizzy always slept and did not find him and I started crying again. I cried everyday for about two months I missed that dog so much and still do. I wish that he was still here so that he could have met my niece, but know that he is here in spirit. We will never find another dog like Bizzy. I think Tiny misses him too because on occasion we call his name (Bizzy) and Tiny gets up to find his Bizzy but he is no where to be found. Just tying this story brings me to tears. it\'s been two years since he passed but his memory is fresh in my head. I can\'t remember how he barked, or how he smelled or things that he liked i just remember how much i loved and still love him. He will never be forgotten never.

Story: Our loving dog bizzy was diagnosed with cancer about two years ago, he was nine years old. At first, we did not know what was wrong with him because be kept on peeing on himself. He never wanted to go outside or play with his ballie. We thought, he is getting old that is why he does\'nt want to play or bark anymore. We took him to the vet and the vet told us that we should get him neutered. So about a week later we took him to a place that does free neutering, which in my eyes was a huge mistake. When we got to the place it was already crowded, our name was about the tenth on the list. They told us to leave the dog and we would pick him up later. When we got there later that day out dog looked like he was the last one to be operated on, he could barely walk and on his paper it had \"warning, or aggressive\" something like that, I can\'t remember. on our way home i told my parents i had a bad feeling about this place. I had a feeling that they did his sugery last. I know Bizzy, he was a very protective dog. No one could even pass in front of our house without him barking at them. He liked no one, except for his family. So I believe that he probably did not want the people to touch him. So we got home and he was doing fine. About a month later his condition worsened. All he did was slept he did nothing else, he greeted you at the door and went back to bed, he no longer barked. Anytime he attempted to pee outside he was straining to pee. He strained so hard to pee that he would pass gas. A couple of months later he did not even want to go outside so my parents decided to take him back to the vet. The vet said that he would open him up to see what was wrong with him. so the date was set it was on August 12, 2004. i will never forget this day because that would be the last day Bizzy would come home. My parents took him early in the morning and they told me that Bizzy went willingly with the doctor. The doctor said that he would call immediately when he knew what was wrong with the dog. At around my mom said the vet called and told her that there was nothing he could do because the cancer had spread to his bladder. At around 1 o\'clock i got a call from mom saying that I should come home. I kept asking her whats wrong, but she wouldn\'t answer me. i could hear in her voice that she was crying so I knew it was bad news. I told my job that i had to leave and took the next train home. My brother picked me up from the train station and I asked him what\'s wrong with Bizzy, he just started crying i knew then that something was really wrong. When I got my parents and sister was sitting on the sofa. My sister just got in from work and she was crying so I knew this had to be bad. My mother then told me that Bizzy had cancer and that they were going to put him to sleep because there was nothing that the doctor could do. I broke down and started weeping. i could not believe it that my precious Bizzy would not ever be coming home. I asked them what time we were going to leave the house to go to the vet\'s office they said that we would leave at five. I cried the whole time. I cried all the way to the vets office. When we went into the office to say our final goodbye. Bizzy was so happy his tail was wagging. My entire family was crying. We took out other dogs Tiny and Lucy so that they too would say goodbye. When Tiny went to Bizzy it looked as if Bizzy told tiny something as if to say you are now in charge. We stayed with him for about twenty minutes. we did not stay for his last breath because it would be too hard. We decided to het him cremated. Everyone in my family was so heart broken. there was nothing else we could do, if we kept him alive the vet said that he would suffer and punish and would die in a couple of months so we made the best possible decision. this decision was made because no one in my family wanted to have to find his body when we woke up or came from work or school. i cried that entire night, i could not go to sleep. I had to go to sleep in my parents room. When I woke up the next moring I looked on the side of the bed a place where Bizzy always slept and did not find him and I started crying again. I cried everyday for about two months I missed that dog so much and still do. I wish that he was still here so that he could have met my niece, but know that he is here in spirit. We will never find another dog like Bizzy. I think Tiny misses him too because on occasion we call his name (Bizzy) and Tiny gets up to find his Bizzy but he is no where to be found. Just tying this story brings me to tears. it\'s been two years since he passed but his memory is fresh in my head. I can\'t remember how he barked, or how he smelled or things that he liked i just remember how much i loved and still love him. He will never be forgotten never.

Story: Mr. Midnite was diagnosed with and lost the battle with Mast Cell Cancer. This was discovered when the veterinarian removed \"tumors\" from his belly...she went in to remove 2 and found more than 10. We had a choice to let him suffer through chemotherapy, or live the rest of his life happy...we chose to let him live the rest of his life happy. He went from being the strongest, biggest, healthiest Doberman to just a shell of his former self. Midnite was the perfect dog...loyal, smart, loving, tolerant...you name it, Midnite was it! He used to help bring in groceries, help my Grandmother up the steps, bring in her purse, open the gate when told, he even walked the goat on a leash! He was just a perfect animal. HIs cancer got worse and worse....he was visibly in pain. Finally, on April 12th, 2007 we made the decision to humanely end his suffering. He was only 9 years old. We all miss him as he was a part of the family..however, he will be waiting on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge for us!

Story: I beagn my life with my Maggie only four short years before she was diagnosed with lymphoma. The vets at Auburn University School of Veteranary Science found her cancer. They treated her with love and compassion, and the hardest day of my life was the day I had to say goodbye to my sweet girl. Maggie was a registered Chihuahua- and was a most beloved dog- she was like my child and I still grieve for her. She passed away on October 28, 2006. In her photo you can see her swelled up lymph glands.

Story: Today, March 21, 2007, marks two years that Albion has been cancer free. She had her final chemo treatment on March 21, 2005 and chest x-rays came back clear. She has gotten chest x-rays every three months since then which have all come back clear. We couldn’t be more thrilled that she is beating the odds. Adrian and I never dared to hope that she would still be with us this long after the diagnosis (Nov. 3, 2004). But every day is a gift and we’re doing our best to cherish the time we have with her and Theo. So here’s to Albion, our precious cancer survivor. She’s our Hero!

Story: In Loving Memory of our Cody Our Cody passed away August 25th, 2007. He was only 9 ½ years old. In May he had a low-grade malignant soft tissue sarcoma, hemangiopericytoma surgically removed from his neck and we were told that it was completely removed. We continued to check for any new topical tumors (photographed). The veterinarian would aspirate all the lipomas that we would find. In August we found another red mass behind his right ear and our Veterinarian removed it and said it did not look malignant. After the surgery, Cody was tired and just seemed sad. Cody developed a bacterial infection at the excision site and was not eating but would if hand fed. We were sent home with medications for a hot spot. Cody tried to go for walks and eat but had to be carried home. He would not leave us in the kitchen and we cooked his favorites. Cody looked at us with “Help me eyes” and then had a seizure and collapsed, returned in panic to the vet. This time x-rays and blood work showed us an enlarged heart, possible ruptured spleen and low anemia, we rushed to the Emergency Vet hospital. The Emergency vet said they tried to stabilize his heart and drain fluids, but he was not responding to CPR. Cody died due to pericardial effusion, ruptured neoplasia (hemangiosarcoma or chemodectoma). Our poor Cody, unknowing to us a tumor had spread into his heart. We requested cremation and left in tears. Shocked as parents there was nothing we could do. Cody loved walks with Cheetah, baths and lots of love. He gave years of service as a Pet Therapy Dog in nursing hospitals and a newspaper printed photos of him working. Cody loved to wiggle his butt when you called him “Boogedy-Boogedy”. This was the sweetest dog to everyone. Our family is deeply sorrowed and will miss him always! http://www.geocities.com/peacedolls/hemaware.html http://www.labbies.com/cancer_letters.htm#Hemangiosarcoma

Story: Cassie was born June 9, 1999 and during her 4 short years with us, she brought joy and love not only to our family but to many. Cassie was a quiet, calm and very loving dog. Because of her loving gentle disposition, at the age of one, she became a pet therapy dog for the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA and worked at many hospitals and nursing homes in the area. She gave love to many patients and brought smiles and laughter to them. She was a sweetheart to all. At the age of 3, she was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma, a non-curable cancer. She began chemotherapy and for 14 months fought a great battle and had a good quality of life. However, on October 31st, 2003, she lost her battle. She is greatly missed by many and always in our hearts. During her short time here, she touched many and her loss will change our lives forever

Story: We lost our greyhound to cancer on May 30, 2007. She would have been 14 in November. It all happened in three weeks but felt like a lifetime. She went from having an exam, where blood and urine were taken (showing elevations) to having a chest xray and ultrasound done (which showed a mass on the kidneys). Because of her age and the fact we almost lost her previously while under anesthesia several years ago, we were hesitant to have the biopsy done. We made an appointment with a specialist only to cancel it a few days later. We never got the chance to find out for sure what was killing Foxy. Foxy\'s health was quickly deteriorating. Her kidneys were shutting down and she wasn\'t urinating at all. She couldn\'t eat yet was vomitting. She could barely stand, and when she did it took every bit of strength to do so. She would stumble and almost fall because she was so week. We were afraid she would break something if she fell. Though we both knew what the outcome would be, my husband left it to me. Foxy had always been \"my girl\" and I made the decision it was time to let go. It was the hardest thing I\'ve ever had to do but I loved her too much to see her suffer. I called the vet and made the arrangements. They told me I could bring Foxy right over. When I called Foxy she got up, as best she could, and ran into my bedroom. To this day I second guess my decision, that maybe she had some fight in her that I wasn\'t seeing. But when I put her leash on she came with me. At the vet I went into the room with her, told her I would be by her side, then and always, and sobbed, apologizing for not being able to do more, not wanting to let go.

Story: we had a great dane that past away to cancer. he was only 2 yrs. old when we lost him. it was a tumor in his front leg. and the vet. told us that there wasnt nothing we could really do about it. they said we could have his leg removed and do kimo. but it might only give him 6 more months to live.it was a very aggresive type of cancer.

Story: As I read these stories, I am sick to see how many Greyhounds there are. I have had 3 Greyhounds with osteosarcoma. Ashley was 12, Lightning was 7 and Blue was 8. It is a horrible, horrible disease, and SO painful! I hope there is a cure quickly so that no more of any of these animals have to live through the pain of cancer. So many people think dogs don\'t feel pain - well - I am here to tell you they do! I am a Registered Veterinary Technician and I see dogs almost every day suffering with some form of cancer and it is so sad for them and their humans! Let\'s find a cure!!!

Story: Our dog Ben is a survivor. He is a survivor of neglect. He is a survivor of cruelty. He is a survivor of cancer. Before we rescued him three years ago, Ben was tied to a tree for 8 years. He had never had his nails trimmed and probably never had a bath. He was filthy and had broken teeth, but he was gentle and loving from the moment we met him. Time was running out for Ben. His owner was planning to shoot him. Luckily, due to some great friends, we found out about Ben just in time. Because Ben was left tied to a tree, he was vulnerable to the cruelty of humans. Neighbors fed him housing insulation to try to kill him. His tongue was shriveled and black.ened He has had two types of mouth cancer, the most recent of which was squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Our wonderful vet, Dr. Donna Mueller, and all of the vets and staff of our vet clinic, love Ben as much as we do and recommended that we take him to the University of Wisconsin at Madison for oncology treatment. In order to save his life and maintain a good quality of life, Ben had his tongue removed and underwent three months of chemotherapy. It has been three months since his last chemo and Ben is doing great. We know that every day we share with him is a gift. We want to give him the best possible life, because that is what he gives us every day.

Story: I lost my Aussie Jixxer on March 8, 2007 to Canine Lymphoma. From the time he showed symptoms (he had to pee every 2 hours) to when i had to put him down it was only 18 days and during that time he had surgery to try and remove a tennis ball sized tumor in his chest as well as some chemo treatments. I never knew dogs got cancer, now I do -- and am going to do everything I can to make sure that if a dog gets cancer, they can be treated and go on to live happy lives... I miss my Jixxer, the 6 years i had him were way too short...but he taught me unconditional love and to believe in myself... he will live on in my heart forever...

Story: Anubis was diagnosed with Mast Cell Tumor disease in 2006. With the help of Dr. Bailey and the new drug Lomustine, Anubis has been symptom free for one year. It was a great relief to know that the diagnosis of cancer was not an immediate death sentence, and even though we will never be worry-free, we\'re cherishing this time spent with a \"healthy\", happy dog.

Story: I adopted Auggie Doggie from BROOD Rescue Group in 2000. He was three years old at the time. He\'s was a beautiful tri-color basset hound. Auggie had all the traits of a basset(stubborn, willful and ate anything on the ground(no matter what)). He was the bright spot in my life. I found out that he had oral melanoma in April of 2006. My vet said that this is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and that he would have six months to a year. My vet and I decided that Auggie should see an oncologist. The oncologist said that if Auggie had six radiation treatments that he would live a normal live. Well, Auggie and I traveled sixty miles a week to have the treatments. It was hard for him but as every pet lover knows a piece of cake for me. I would do anything to make him better. He finished his treatments around the fourth of July and had a clean x-ray in September. In late November early December he started bleeding from the gums. The oncologist and vet thought he needed his teeth cleaned. Two weeks later his vet said that she thought the cancer was back and along with the oncologist recommended chemo. We started chemo one week before Christmas and my Auggie died December 28 2006. He tried so hard to live. I miss him everyday. His Christmas stocking still hangs on my wall at my computer and will remain there. He remains in my heart forever.

Story: We lost our greyhound Bucky to bone cancer about a year ago. She was only eight years old and so wonderful and funny; I still miss her. She is the third greyhound we have lost to bone cancer. My heart sinks at the first hint of a limp. I hope you have speedy success in finding a cure.

Story: Not a survivor. My beloved Pete (former racing greyhound) had a tumor in his belly and I had to have him put down. The organization I belong to has a jingle bell walk every Christmastime to raise money for canine cancer. This money was given to the Morris Foundation to fight cancer in greyhounds.

Story: Our 8-year old schnauzer, Rascal, had a tumor removed that effects the nerve sheath and the biopsy stated that dogs with this type of malignant tumor survival rate is 1-3 years. We are now going into our 4th year. The vets told us there was nothing that could be done other than tumor removal; then, our herbalist suggested a treatment of cancer-fighting herbs, which we have continued with to this day and he seems to be doing great.

Story: Unfortunately, this is not a survivor story, but one to share. My German Shorthair Pointer lost his life to liver cancer a year ago now he was nine years old. He survived surgery to repair the disease bloat when he was five years old, but liver cancer overtook him quickly four years later. Liver cancer is not something that can be seen, the only "warning" signs I had was he kept following me around all day, stuck to my side, and that he slept a lot. After a few weeks of that and a diagnosis of separation anxiety, he lost his appetite and lost weight. I had to give him to God to take away his pain. He was a great family dog and a big part of my life. I miss him terribly. It's a shame that cancer goes so unnoticed in dogs. Hopefully with more cancer research, less families will lose their pets to canine cancer.

Story: My Chihuahua had a tumer behind her eye that was said to be Lymphoma. I went to 2 doctors before I started giving her Chemo. She was by best friend and I would have done anything to help her. I did not know about this website and all the help I could have got. I spent thousands of dallors trying to help her and she just kept getting worse. I didn't want her to suffer so 2 weeks ago I had to put her to sleep. Now that I read this it breaks my heart because I would have done anything to help her stay alive. Loosing my little girl was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. It is too late to help my Chihuahua but I want to thank everyone that helps dogs with cancer because they deserve a chance just like everyone else.

Story: My dog Turbo had Canine Lymphoma and survived for about half a year before we had to put him down. We hope that in the future no dogs will have to be put down because of Canine Lymphoma or any Canine Cancer.

Story: Our 8-year old son has cancer and has been treated by oncologists that are a part of the Children's Oncology Group. Kevin is alive today and doing a heck of a lot better thanks to our brilliant team of cancer specialists. From them we heard about how the veterinary cancer doctors are working jointly with the human doctors on cancer treatments, including the ones saving Kevin's life. We had no idea. Dog cancer patients come to the hospital to visit the children with cancer. Everyone gets cheered up. Thank you for this web site so we could share. Thank you for this research.

Story: Cancer in dogs is much more of a problem than many dog owners know. We learned about the problem first hand when JoJo began to limp now and then. His limp came and went and very early on it didn't seem like much to be worried about. If it kept up we were going to take him to the vet. One day we threw his ball and as he ran back with it his front leg just snapped. It was horrible. In the vet emergency room the x-ray showed that a bone cancer tumor had completely cut through JoJo's leg. JoJo lost his leg, but after some intensive and highly advanced chemo, he is doing super. We were told if it was not for recent research advances JoJo would have died in 6 weeks or less.

Story: Two of our dogs have had cancer. Lucky is an 11-year old mixed breed and Doc was a pug who lived to 12. Lucky had cancer in his jaw and Doc in his back leg. The cancer treatment and care both received was amazing. We are so grateful to the several vet and vet cancer specialists in the LA area who not only helped stop the cancer in our dogs, but also were able to greatly reduce the pain both began to have. Doc lived a great happy life until the end due to the dog cancer research that had been done. Our vet told us about Morris and the dog cancer research they have been funding. This is wonderful work that helped our dogs.

Story: Not really a survivor story, my greyhound for many many years just died from bone cancer. He got it so quickly and it was over in no time. I did not know about all the treatments. I am getting another greyhound and I am going to make sure that I watch for all of the signs. The limp was really a terrible start to cancer. My vet diagnosis my dog with Arthritis at first, came back and told me to take doggie celebrex. A month later he had full blown bone cancer in his shoulder. It was a horrible thing for me to watch him pass on. We have to do something about this dreadful disease. I really miss my Jericho.

Story: I always thought getting cancer was the beginning of the end for a dog. But the treatments available today and the doctors working on them are truly miraculous. My wife and I just celebrated our dog Cali's birthday by getting her a brand new puppy to grow old with. I hope we have many more birthdays together like this one. It's so hard to let go.

Story: My first dog Henry died of bone cancer and I hope that my new dog does have to go through that. It was so hard on our family, lets find a cure and we won't ever have to worry about that.

Story: My dog Boozer recently faced the fight of his life against cancer. It was a long battle but he survived and is doing great. The advanced treatments at the hospital I believe saved his life, thanks for all your hard work Morris.