Update on Canine Cancer Treatments

Many of you know that I feel a special kinship with the topic of canine cancer. I still get e-mails and an occasional phone call, out of the blue, from someone who has found the Saving Bentley story on the web and wants to talk to me about what they are experiencing with their own dog. I still know that more dogs get cancer than people and I still know there are many hearts that break because of this disease.

There was an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times about the growing popularity of oncology as a veterinary specialty, focusing on one group, Rosenberg's Veterinary Cancer Group in Los Angeles. "Treating animal cancer has become a multimillion dollar business..."

Rosenberg's group started 17 years ago and now included nine oncologists, an acupuncturist, two offices and all the resources needed to perform the various lab procedures that are a part of cancer treatment for pets, including x-rays, blood tests, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. The protocol seems to be very similar to the one used at Penn, which is predominantly a team centered approach, and the mantra of "quality of life" applies equally on both coasts.

In fact, most of what I read in the article is what I experienced at Penn when Bentley was being treated including the fact that most dogs do not get the side effects of treatment that humans do because the goal is to prolong their lives, not cure their diseases. It is a approach that we don't accept on the human level, and it accounts for the roller coaster ride that treating a pet with cancer often feels like.

And as for those who question the practice of treating pets with cancer in the first place, well, they don't have to. But some of the most important developments in human disease treatment have come from treating animals.

Clearly, many people are pursuing many options when it comes to taking care of their pets for the duration and, in my opinion, they should be entitled to these options. Once you have been there, you are forever changed.

For an inspirational take on the canine cancer topic, I remind you of the journey Luke is taking with his dogs, walking from Dallas to Boston, to raise money and awareness for canine cancer.

As he would say, "Puppy up!"

Needed: Heroic Horse

So I watched some of the Academy Awards last weekend live and some via Tivo (that show is very long...) because I had actually seen all five of the movies nominated for best picture. For the record, I loved all of them for different reasons and had decided, in the right environment, each one of them could have been chosen. The point about Slum Dog Millionaire being a perfect pick for our economic conditions was made over and over and I think that it's right. Movies do capture the essence of their eras and it is always nice to be reminded that the underdog can indeed triumph.

There is a horse link here so bear with me. I am knee deep in the heroic horses section of my thesis and combing old newspaper articles and magazine pieces about Seabiscuit and Secretariat. It is astounding how the media shapes our perception of heroes but it is also amazing how much we need a hero now, given the times. Seabiscuit really did come to represent hope for the challenged in the midst of some pretty dark times in our country. Just why it takes a horse is still a mystery to me--although I think some of it has to do with the horse's general allure and the fact that he somehow strides both the manmade and the natural environments--but I truly do think we are ready for a new equine hero right about now.

So far I truly don't see a potential Triple Crown winner blooming but you never know. One thing I do know is that if there is one this year or next, that horse will grab hold of the public's imagination the same way Seabiscuit did.

So maybe in your Derby musings, you should consider a horse who has done little lately to make the story complete. You know, the come-from-behind, give-me-a-chance type usually overlooked. That's what we need right about now.

Here's the other thing that struck me about the Academy Awards: nearly everyone who was honored spoke about how long they had dreamed of the honor--some a literal lifetime. The moral of that story: good things do seem come to those who persist and wait.

Which was actually just what I needed to have reinforced when the finish line of this project seems miles away.....

A Duck Tale

Here is a wonderful human-animal story sent to me by a friend.

Subj: A True Duck Story From San Antonio

A True Duck Story From San Antonio ...

Something really cute happened in downtown San Antonio this week. Michael R. is now an accounting clerk at Frost Bank and works downtown in a second story office building. Several weeks ago, he watched a mother duck choose the concrete awning outside his window as the unlikely place to build a nest above the sidewalk.



The mallard laid ten eggs in a nest in the corner of the planter that is perched over 10 feet in the air. She dutifully kept the eggs warm for weeks, and Monday afternoon all of her ten ducklings hatched.

Michael worried all night how the momma duck was going to get those babies safely off their perch in a busy, downtown, urban environment to take to water, which typically happens in the first 48 hours of a duck hatching. Tuesday morning, Michael watched the mother duck encourage her babies to the edge of the perch with the intent to show them how to jump off!

The mother flew down below and started quacking to her babies above. In his disbelief Michael watched as the first fuzzy newborn toddled to the edge and astonishingly leapt into thin air, crashing onto the cement below. Michael couldn't stand to watch this risky effort. He dashed out of his office and ran down the stairs to the sidewalk where the first obedient duckling was stuporing near its mother from the near fatal fall.



As the second one took the plunge, Michael jumped forward and caught it with his bare hands before it hit the concrete. Safe and sound, he set it by the momma and the other stunned sibling, still recovering from its painful leap.

One by one the babies continued to jump. Each time Michael hid under the awning just to reach out in the nick of time as the duckling made its free fall. The downtown sidewalk came to a standstill. Time after time, Michael was able to catch the remaining 8 and set them by their approving mother.



At this point Michael realized the duck family had only made part of its dangerous journey. They had 2 full blocks to walk across traffic, crosswalks, curbs, and pedestrians to get to the closest open water, the San Antonio River .
The onlooking office secretaries and several San Antonio police officers joined in. They brought an empty copy paper box to collect the babies. They carefully corralled them, with the mother's approval, and loaded them in the container. Michael held the box low enough for the mom to see her brood. He then slowly navigated through the downtown streets toward the San Antonio River . The mother waddled behind and kept her babies in sight.

As they reached the river, the mother took over and passed him, jumping into the river and quacking loudly. At the water's edge, he tipped the box and helped shepherd the babies toward the water and to their mother after their adventurous ride.



All ten darling ducklings safely made it into the water and paddled up snugly to momma. Michael said the mom swam in circles, looking back toward the beaming bank bookkeeper, and proudly quacking.

Good Dog Gala Part II

Imagine going to a big dog park wearing nice clothes. That was essentially the atmosphere at the PSPCA Big Dog Gala last Saturday night where guests were highly encouraged to bring their four legged friends of the canine variety. My guess is that there were at least 350 people there--the ballroom was sold out and packed and there must have been at least 150 dogs of every size, shape and variety.

Cocktails were a bit challenging since the space was long and narrow. We had to wind our way through lots of people with lots of dogs, but amazingly, there was very little barking or misbehaving. The dogs got it--and it helped that there was food involved. The highlight of the evening for the dogs, no doubt, was the ample "Treat Bar" set up next to a human bar, where the samples were free, abundant and actually pretty appetizing. I have no idea what Amos ate but he ate a lot of cookies that seemed to have some sort of icing on them. In fact, once he discovered the treat bar, he was reluctant to leave the area!

There was also a vast silent auction but with Amos on one arm and a drink in the other, I found it difficult to wander and peruse all the offerings. I did spot lots of dog-inspired gift baskets, pet portraits, training sessions as well as tickets to lots of events, including the Oprah Show and the Martha Stewart Show. There were also lots of restaurant and hotel packages. Next year, I will be better prepared to put my name down for some goodies. I also will wear something with pockets!

Dinner was unbelievably calm, all things considered. You should have seen waiters climbing over various dogs who had sprawled out table side--Amos included, by the way-- with plates of our delicious vegetarian meal. Amos even managed to eat some couscous!

Between dinner and dessert, I handed Amos off to one of the many available "dog valets" who took him for a nice walk. When he got back, however, right before dessert, he announced he was ready to go home--a lot of barking!!--so off we went. So no report on dessert, but we beat the car retrieval line and Amos was the perfect date!!! We did notice that most people with dogs were heading for the elevators about the time we did.

Here's the thing: everybody was totally understanding about everything. Nobody cared if your dog drooled, shed, wagged their tail in their face, or whatever. If you bumped into someone, they just smiled and said how beautiful your dog was. In fact, everybody had a smile on their faces. There was a lot of petting, cooing and generally being nice.

I truly do believe dogs bring out the best in their owners and in people in general. I would spend an evening in a room filled with dogs and their people anytime!! In fact, if people took their dogs more places, the world would probably be a much more friendly and accommodating place.

I had truly forgotten how wonderful dog people are and Amos had the time of his life. I told him NOT to tell Phoebe the evening involved food or there would be no living with her, but I'm afraid he has let the cat out of the bag. Phoebe has informed me, she is ordering her tiara for the event next year...

The Good Dog Gala

It seems as if the pet business is surviving the downturn in the economy fairly well. From what I hear the Pet Expo last month in Vegas was the biggest yet and my friends in the business say they are doing OK. Certainly business was robust at the sold-out Pennsylvania SPCA Gala last Saturday night at the Loews Philadelphia. The Good Dog Gala honored six individuals and organizations that have made life better for pets and was a lovely affair.

Here's what set the event apart from other charity functions. You were "highly" encouraged to bring your own dog to the Good Dog Gala!!! So with Amos as my date, we set off for a wonderful evening. Here are some of my photos:

Amos wore a spiffy plaid bow tie!



Some new friends we met at the party. This was during the cocktail hour.



Some more new friends. Some were even dressed for the occasion!



Our dinner partner! At our table of ten there were five dogs!!!!



Amos had a most wonderful time!!!!

Slaughter Debate Heats Up

Things are heating up once again in the horse slaughter debate in Congress and it seems as if the economy is prompting some of the actions.

As of Feb. 12, lawmakers in Wyoming and Utah sponsored resolutions urging Congress to let state legislators decide about the viability of horse slaughter within their respective states. These resolutions come out strongly opposed to the federal Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act currently in committee.

As of Feb. 19, the list had grown to seven states actively considering the reestablishment of horse processing plants within their state borders and coming out in opposition to Conyers-Burton. These states are: Arizona, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. There were also five more states who were actively working on bills that amending state laws to promote private plant development. These are: Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Montana and Tennessee.

One argument for the reintroduction of slaughter plants has to do with the creation of jobs--a topic that certainly strikes a chord with those out of work anywhere. Of course the question of what kind of jobs these remains undisclosed are but I am assuming there are construction jobs at stake as well as those of staffing these facilities.

It is ironic that the pro-slaughter movement is gaining momentum even as Reps. Jim Moran (d-VA) and Elton Gallegly )R-CA) announced that they will co-chair the newly formed "Congressional Animal Protection Caucus" (CAPC)committed to raising awareness of animal welfare issues in Congress. This new caucus takes the place of the Friends of Animal Caucus that previously existed and took credit for passing stricter animal fighting legislation as well as tougher farm animals welfare regulations.

And how about this for timing? Among the "priorities" for this new caucus is legislation "banning the slaughter of horses."

I'm not sure if this new pro-slaughter movement is business as usual from the states who always supported the practice, but I do know that the added argument for job creation may find a more sympathetic audience than the "unwanted horses" one. Equally ironic, however, is the thought that Wyoming, home of Madeline Pickens' presumed shelter for wild mustangs is among those seeking to create slaughter plants within its borders.

Stay tuned. This promises to be a long, drawn-out battle.

Pets Worth Watching

Recently some television programs have done wonderful jobs of exploring the bonds we share with out pets. Check your listings for Why We Love Cats and Dogs, a Nature series on PBS as well as Presidential Dogs on Animal Planet.

You can actually watch both episodes on line. Why We Love Cats and Dogs is an interesting look at the the similarities and differences between the top two pets. Cat people, as you might already know, seem very distinct from dog people, but the bonds they share with their pets are equally strong. I was especially intrigued by the section on cats and dogs who grow up together and the closeness they share. My dogs are not thrilled with cats but it is probably because the only one with whom they come into contact with on a regular basis lives at the vet!

Presidential Dogs is also available for viewing on line and when you watch it you will decide that in your next life you want to come back as a White House dog! With 15 acres of lawn to explore, chefs and dog walkers at your disposal as well as what ever rooms the first family deems pet friendly within the White House itself, I can safely say that Phoebe wants to move in!

In keeping with the presidential theme, the Newseum in Washington has an exhibit, First Dogs: American Presidents and Their Pets through May 2009. Sound fascinating to learn of the role journalists played in promoting our national infatuation with these pooches. Let me know if you go.