AKC Canine Health Foundation Marks Pet Cancer Awareness Month with Public Awareness and Fundraising Campaign

Pet Cancer Awareness Month begins tomorrow, and throughout the month of May the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) will provide news and information to help dog owners better understand treatment options and cutting-edge research in the field of canine cancer.

According to research published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2011, approximately 30% of older dogs succumb to cancer. “All dogs, whether mixed breed or purebred, are at risk for developing cancer,” said Dr. Shila Nordone, CHF Chief Scientific Officer. “Our goal during Pet Cancer Awareness Month is to provide dog owners with information about ongoing research studies that are working to find better treatments for our dogs,” said Nordone.

Since 1995 CHF has funded nearly $9 million in canine cancer research. This research has provided breakthroughs in treatment options and diagnosis, and has helped scientists study cancer at the cellular level -- allowing veterinarians to diagnose cancer earlier and treat it more effectively. CHF-funded research has a broad impact, extending beyond dogs to having application to human cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The public awareness and fundraising campaign runs May 1 - 31 and uses social media and online outreach, podcasts and website features to promote not only CHF-funded research, but information on different types of canine cancer, care for dogs with cancer and other cancer-related health resources. The podcasts release schedule and topics are:

• Wednesday, May 1: CHF Cancer Research, with Dr. Shila Nordone, CHF Chief Scientific Officer
• Thursday, May 9: Cancer Stem Cells, with Dr. Tim O’Brien, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
• Thursday, May 16: The Future of Canine Cancer Research, with Dr. Bruce Smith, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine
• Thursday, May 23: What to Expect During Your Visit to the Canine Oncologist, with Dr. Rachel Reiman a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine with a specialty in Oncology
• Thursday, May 30: Hemangiocarcinoma Research, with Dr. Jaime Modiano, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine

Dog owners and dog lovers are encouraged to take part in the Foundation’s goal to help raise funds for canine health research through two special honor and memorial gift programs. The Celebration Wall is a special online photo gallery in memory of much loved dogs. This memorial is a fitting tribute for dogs that have died from cancer or another disease.

Heroes for Health Research pages are custom-built personal donation webpages. Pages can be created for any canine hero – whether it is a dog battling cancer or a dog that has been a great companion. Participants are encouraged to invite family and friends to donate to their page.

Contributions raised through the Celebration Wall and Hero for Health Research will help CHF advance the health of all dogs by funding sound, scientific research to prevent, treat and cure canine disease.