Middle Schoolers Get A Furry Friend

Veterans Find Guardian Angels

A relatively simple question crossed Stacy Juchno’s mind shortly after she became executive sponsor of PNC’s Military employee business resource group: what type of activity might better engage the group?

Around the same time, Juchno, the leader of PNC’s internal audit department, heard about Guardian Angels, a non-profit organization that pairs service dogs with veterans who have disabilities.

“What if I could get the group to sponsor one service dog, and we could follow the journey of the veteran and the dog?” Juchno recalled wondering at the time.

Out of the idea, a much larger initiative to support veterans sprouted. In 2016, Guardian Angels established and PNC sponsored the Mutt Strut, a fundraiser that started as a charity walk for people and pets in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park. Two other markets — Erie, Pa., and Dayton, Ohio — later added events, and in 2020, the Mutt Strut went virtual amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the evolution, the commitment to honoring veterans’ service and helping those in need held firm.

In five years, PNC raised and donated enough money to fund 57 service dogs from Guardian Angels — the cost for each dog ranges from $20,000 to $25,000. Guardian Angels does not pass any part of those costs on to the dogs’ recipients.

“Our employees found a better way to not only engage our Military EBRG with Guardian Angels and the amazing service dogs, but they helped us engage so many veterans and veteran advocates in the community,” Juchno said. “Before the Mutt Strut started, I thought if we create awareness about veteran suicide, we will have been successful. I dreamed of one dog for one veteran. My expectations continue to be exceeded.”

A Solution that Saves Veterans’ Lives

Carol Borden, founder and CEO of Guardian Angels, still remembers the weather forecast for the inaugural Mutt Strut. Clouds hovered overhead at dawn. Rain appeared likely.

“All of a sudden, when the sun came out, it was the most beautiful day, and it stayed that way through the entire event, so that was sort of a sign of things to come,” said Borden, whose organization operates out of Williston, Fla. “If I had to dream of an ideal sponsor, it would be PNC.”

The first Mutt Strut raised almost $200,000. In 2017, the total grew to about $300,000. In 2019, the events in Pittsburgh, Erie and Dayton combined to raise $511,000. Relying solely on a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mutt Strut brought in more than $250,000.

Expansion of the events to new areas attracted more PNC employees to the cause, and the idea of veteran advocacy spread among even those who never served and lacked family ties to the military.

“It all came together for me after I heard some of the veterans’ stories and saw the dogs in action,” said Jeff Szumigale, a PNC Wealth Management market director in Erie. “That’s when the proverbial light bulb went off, and I thought, ‘My goodness, I think I’ve got a good friend who could use this.’

“You don’t have to be a veteran to help or to care. Almost everybody knows somebody who was in the military, and chances are one of those folks is experiencing challenges.”

Guardian Angels named PNC its Sponsor of the Year for 2020. PNC remains proud to work with Guardian Angels, which maintains a remarkable track record with veterans. Tragically, during the past decade-plus, an average of 17 veterans died by suicide each day, according to a 2019 report from the Department of Veteran Affairs. Yet none of the more than 350 veterans paired with Guardian Angels service dogs since the organization’s founding in 2010 are among those statistics.

“This is a solution that works, and not enough people know about it,” said Chris Phillips, a Marine veteran who works for PNC as a military affairs liaison and leads efforts to support Guardian Angels’ execution of the Mutt Strut events. “You never realize whose lives you’re changing until somebody reaches out.”

Leading by Example

Phillips hopes success of the virtual version of the Mutt Strut means PNC and Guardian Angels’ message will begin to reach veterans online rather than relying solely on attendance at in-person events.

“Veterans don’t serve by ZIP code,” she said. “I think this year, we really tried to show that we’re serving all of our veterans from every community out there.”

While fundraising is critical to its mission, initiating conversations about disabilities with veterans is just as high a priority for Guardian Angels and its sponsors.

“When I have an opportunity to talk to veterans directly,” Borden said, “I encourage them to not only understand what these dogs can do for them — some things that not even a caregiver is able to do — I also make them realize they’re leaders, and they’re role models to other veterans. It’s not just for those with PTSD, either. Whether their disability is related to mental health or mobility, veterans need to experience the impact a service dog can have on their own lives and then share that, and they do.”

Army veteran John Kelly received his Guardian Angels service dog, Ranger, in 2016 and soon became a passionate proponent for the cause.

“For a long time, I was without what I would consider, in like a Samurai sense, my honor,” Kelly said. “I was walking around as empty as a shell. And you guys helped bring me back from that.

“With the strategic vision of the Mutt Strut and Guardian Angels supported by PNC, you’re saving lives every day.”

Shelter Dog Heads To The White House

Delaware’s own Joe Biden is heading to the White House as the projected winner of the presidential race and, now so is a dog from Delaware. Major, a two-and-a-half-year-old German Shepherd, was adopted by the Biden family from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018 and will be the first shelter dog to be inside the White House. He’ll join the Biden’s other German Shepherd, Champ, who did not come from DHA.

Patrick Carroll, executive director of the DHA, said Major was part of a litter of puppies that were surrendered.

“They actually were sick, so we had to put some medical care in, nurse them back to health; they had gotten into a toxic substance, so they needed some major medical care, they went to emergency,” he recalled.

The dogs entered a foster home, and ultimately Major wound up in his fur-ever home after Joe Biden and his grandchildren paid the shelter a visit on Easter Sunday in 2018.

“He’s a very nice dog; I believe he was the largest of the litter, the only male, so he saw the story–I believe his daughter told him,” said Cathy Blankenship, the adopting counselor at DHA at the time of Major’s adoption.

“I remember he was very calm, the dog. Major was very well-behaved…very friendly,” said Carroll. Carroll said Major will be a perfect fit for the White House.

“I’m not worried about him in the White House at all, he’ll fit right in, in terms of he’s well-behaved,” he said.

German Shepherds, are a protective, highly intelligent breed, that often serve as police K9s. Biden’s dog underwent specialized training too, and Blankenship remembered a poignant moment in what was otherwise a normal adoption process.

“He talked to us a little bit about brain cancer with his son, Beau, and how they’re training dogs now to detect cancer in people, and he was very very on-board with that and was really interested in it,” she said.

She said Biden also joked about Major: “‘He may be going to Secret Service school.'”

And while they don’t usually do house calls, the DHA would make an exception to see Major at the White House.

“I think it’s going to be great to see him,” Blankenship laughed. “I think the staff should be invited up there to see the dog.”

“Wouldn’t that be great to say–we’re just checking on Major?” Carroll said.

Blankenship said the first shelter dog in the White House will help spread DHA’s main message–adopt don’t shop.

“It’s very important. I can see people just wanting now to rescue…he was a vice president, now he’s going to be the president, and he went to a rescue for a dog. I think that’s going to bring in a lot of help for DHA,” she said.

Carroll said more dogs may find their fur-ever homes as a result.

“Whether it’s just your local home here in Delaware or in the White House it’s still a home and that’s what most important–every animal wants that and needs that, so I’ve heard people thinking of DHA about ‘well if their dogs are good enough for the White House, they’re certainly food enough for my house,'” said Carroll.

But DHA was already experiencing an uptick in adoptions before the Biden news due to the coronavirus pandemic. With more Americans working from home than ever, people are turning to shelters to find some company.

“It’s mostly because they’re at home. So many people say, ‘oh I’d love to get a dog but I just don’t have time, or I want a dog, but I work too many hours, or I don’t have time to train a puppy…’ so that’s just been a game-changer,” said Carroll.

It’s a good problem to have.

“People have gotten a little impatient because they miss out on a dog or cat that they wanted; we can’t keep ’em in, we have plenty of homes,” he said.

Veterans With Dogs

Veterans With Dogs has been able to purchase a dedicated van thanks to a donation of £10,000 from the Exeter Chiefs Foundation.

The fully-branded van was unveiled as a launch event, before lockdown, attended by trustees Marc Astley and Keiron Northcott from the Exeter Chiefs Foundation and Craig MacLellan, chief executive of Veterans With Dogs.

The Exeter Chiefs Foundation was established in 2011 to help promote the local community and the vision of people who live and work in the area.

All of the money raised by the foundation is donated to worthy causes in and around Exeter, Devon, with a focus on supporting ‘tangible’ investments. Since its inception, the foundation has helped to directly fund over 120 different charities and organisations in a series of wide-ranging projects and schemes.

Marc Astley, Exeter Chiefs Foundation trustee, said: “Veterans With Dogs makes a huge difference to the lives of many people and we were delighted to be able to help them by making this donation.

“There is a whole fleet of vehicles being used by different charities and organisations across Devon which have been funded by the generous donations of our supporters and this is the latest to take to the road.

“In the current climate, we know the role the Exeter Chiefs Foundation plays in backing worthy causes is more important than ever. If anyone would like to contribute in any way, we’d urge them to contact the foundation.”

Craig MacLellan, chief executive of Veterans With Dogs, said: “We are very grateful for the support from the Exeter Chiefs Foundation and their generous donation of £10,000.

“Thanks to this, and money awarded to us by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, we now have a fantastic branded vehicle, featuring the Exeter Chiefs Foundation logo, which will enable us to transport our veterans and their dogs in comfort when attending our residential training courses.

“It will also help to raise our profile in and around the area when the team are out and about, visiting veterans and attending events.”

Veterans With Dogs trains and provides assistance dogs for current and former members of the British Armed Forces with service-related mental health conditions using its unique PALS (Partner Animals Life Skills) training programme.

The training is a combination of home support and residential courses, with annual assessments thereafter to maintain the fully accredited assistance dog status. The dogs that undergo this training are always ‘on shift’, providing the veteran with 24/7, 365 days of assistance. They not only change the lives of the veterans – in some cases, they save them too.

Hannah Changes Lives

Although Hannah is only five months old, she’s already preparing for a job that will change someone’s life.

On a recent outing, the black Lab puppy sniffed the grass before snapping to attention when her trainer, resident Kara Hubbard, said her name.

Hubbard is temporarily raising the 40-pound canine that is part of the NEADS World Class Service Dogs, a nonprofit organization in Princeton. Since she is working from home due to the COVID pandemic, Hubbard felt she could devote the time and energy to raising and training a dog that could help someone in need. “This is a great way for us to be able to give back,” she said. Hubbard applied to be a full-time puppy trainer in June and went through a rigorous screening process before being accepted. Staff at NEADS, “really cared about where their puppies were going,” she said.

For 12-26 months, volunteers take on the responsibility of training a puppy “for a career of helping others with disabilities, including those who are deaf or physically disabled, children who have autism, or veterans who have PTSD; or providing therapeutic assistance in a variety of professional settings,” said NEADS CEO Gerry DeRoche in a press release. Hubbard said she is laying the foundation of obedience training. For example, when she asks Hannah to take a ball and bring it back to her, that skill will later be used if the dog’s future owner drops something.

Hubbard recently demonstrated other important skills Hannah must master, including walking next to Hubbard’s knee; sitting when Hubbard stops; and going to the bathroom on command.

“She actually does it pretty well,” she said. When Hannah is outside of the home, she is a working dog, so she has to learn not to be distracted and run after other dogs or squirrels, for example.

NEADS teams evaluate the dogs throughout the entire training process and decide if they’ll “graduate.” After she leaves Hubbard’s home, Hannah will receive advanced training before placement, if she’s accepted as a service dog.

When asked how they’ll feel when they have to give Hannah back to NEADS, Hubbard said she and her family always knew there would be an endpoint to the arrangement.

“We do love her very, very much … it will be hard, for sure,” she said. “But it will be such a celebration for us … [for Hannah] to move on to be a service dog.”

Hubbard said she and her family are even thinking of training another NEADS puppy after Hannah leaves.

“It’s really a blessing to us … to be able to do this for someone else who really needs this,” she said.

CMS’s Therapy Dog

His full name is Shilohs Magnanimous Black, but he goes by Magnus for short. He’s young, he’s playful, and his blonde hair has a tendency to get everywhere. He’s the new therapy dog at Cody Middle School, training to help the students calm down and even learn.

Magnus isn’t a service or emotional support animal – one specially trained for a specific person. Service animals have a specific function, commonly seen as guide dogs for people in need.

An emotional support animal provides support and comfort to an individual owner and, to become official, must be prescribed by a mental health professional.

Magnus is neither of those things. One of the key differences, said owner and handler Kori Black, is that Magnus as a therapy dog can help anyone.

“A service animal is specially trained for a person with a disability,” Black, a counselor at CMS, said. “He’s here for everyone else.”

A therapy dog like Magnus, who will go through optional certification tests in February, is another tool in the toolbox for Black to work with students. He’ll be trained in a variety of areas, including animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted education.

“We don’t get a lot of time with the kids, so we work on short-term goals. A lot of our time with them is spent regulating [their emotions],” Black said. “As they pet him, it releases serotonin, regulating [their emotions] faster than we can with talk.”

In addition to therapy, Magnus is being trained to help the students with their education, by being a friendly ear to read to or a way for students to practice some fine motor skills, like working with buckles.

Using animals in therapy has a long history and has been studied heavily by psychologists. Multiple studies show therapy dogs have a positive effect both on mental and emotional health, as well as improving reading outcomes when used with another program.

Of course, Magnus will not become the counselor or the teacher. The British Lab is simply another way to reach the students. Having an animal in the room helps build a rapport between counselor and student as well, said Black, increasing the trust between the student and the adult.

“When kids see me, they may not me know me or there may be stereotypes with the counselor, but now I’m the lady with the dog,” she said. “That’s cool. That helps build relationships. It’s like having a cool friend.”

Therapy dog programs like the one started at CMS have had their detractors, with some accusing counselors or others who bring the animals into school as just wanting their pets around.

“Can I lie and say it’s not nice having him here three days a week?” Black asked. “That would be a lie. But it’s not about that. He is specifically here for a reason. He’s specifically working, and that’s what’s important.”

While Magnus is Black’s dog, she is taking extra care to avoid those accusations by becoming a certified handler and putting Magnus through a training and certification program to keep everything above board.

“As a therapist through the American Counselors Association, they just trust my professionalism to choose an animal, to get the training,” Black said. “I wanted to something else that I could show, ‘Hey, we’re going to do this right. We’re going to do it well.’”

The community has already shown its support for the program. Black said she got six emails from parents who were excited about the addition. Even so, her concern is not with the public perception of the pilot program, but with the students.

“It’s more likely there will be concerns of allergies and fear of animals,” Black said.

Magnus is going to stick around the middle school, but other counselors can see him in action and learn about his role. That may inspire them to get their own therapy animals.

“In that way, I’m opening the door for them,” Black said. “If they think that there’s benefit of it, then they can bring in an animal and use it in their practice,”

Raising Money For Treatment

After spending the past three years helping her daughter fight a rare disease affecting her ability to walk, the last thing Santa Clarita Valley resident Lisa Burke expected was to have her dog experience similar struggles.

At the beginning of the year, Burke’s 20-year-old daughter Layne had a spinal nerve stimulator put in her back, allowing her to regain the ability to walk again, but it was only a couple of months later that her 4-year-old Great Dane received a spinal injury of his own.

“It went from my daughter to my dog,” Burke said. “I just got my daughter to a point where we were on the road to recovery … and then all of a sudden, this happens to the dog. … It was a very emotional few months.”

Zeus was Burke’s first dog, who she had gotten as a puppy, and became special to not only Burke, but also to Layne, as well as to Melissa Simmons, who worked for Burke.

“Zeus is my favorite, he’s my baby,” Simmons said. “I helped raise him and I help take care of him, so I always tell her we have joint custody.”

Through time, Burke rescued three more dogs, including another Great Dane, and each time she and Layne would be away for her medical treatment, Simmons would step in as “auntie” and dogsit.

“My daughter and I were gone for months at a time, … so luckily for us, we were able to leave and not have to worry about the dogs at all,” Burke added.

It was in July that Zeus and Eros, Burke’s second Great Dane, got into a scuffle that led to his injury.

“We took the dogs to the vet, and everything seemed to be OK,” Burke said, adding that it was only a few days later when Zeus was screaming in pain that she knew something was really wrong.

“The vet gave him a bunch of medication and sent us on our way,” she added. “Over time, he was just progressively getting worse and not better.”

Over the next few months, Zeus was sent to specialists, received MRIs and though they found the problem, doctors were hesitant to operate, as they believed Zeus would get better with time to rest — yet he didn’t.

“To hear a dog scream in pain was just awful,” Burke said. “It got to the point where he was falling all over the place and couldn’t get up.”

Meanwhile, Zeus had to isolate from his doggie siblings, and Simmons and Burke could see it was affecting him dramatically.

“Zeus is not one to really show or get a lot of emotion, unlike the other (dogs), but you could definitely see it in his eyes,” Simmons said. “We were losing him from the inside out. We were telling him, ‘Don’t give up, we’re not giving up on you.’ … (but) he was a shell of a dog.”

“I thought I was going to lose him, honestly,” Burke added. “It was very sad. His whole demeanor, everything, was just in the tank.”

Finally in September, Zeus was sent to another specialist in Irvine, where the doctor urged Burke to agree to emergency surgery that very day.

“It was a very, very tricky surgery because he had a collapsed disc in his neck and the arteries are very close to where these particular discs are,” Burke said.

One surgery quickly turned into two, as the doctors had to go in a second time to finish the repair when Zeus evidently wasn’t doing better.

It was only after that second surgery that Burke and Simmons began to see a little bit of light coming back into Zeus’ eyes through the photos and videos the vet was sending them as Zeus recovered in the hospital.

“I remember we both just started crying,” Simmons said. “We were afraid to have hope.”

Zeus was released after about a week and began his recovery at home with a neck full of staples.

“There had to be 50 or 60 all the way down his front chest,” Burke said. “I rearranged my house, and I had to buy all kinds of stuff, like harnesses and rugs and beds, to keep him comfortable, away from the other three dogs.”

Though the vet was pleased with his progress, Zeus’ recovery was a slow one, as he slowly regained his muscle and began to walk on his own again.

“He kept falling over, (and) he couldn’t go potty by himself, I’d have to hold him up with the harness,” Burke said. “Because she didn’t want Zeus to be by himself, my daughter would lay on his bed with him and fall asleep with him.”

Issue after issue continued to delay his recovery, and though it was heartbreaking, he’s now begun to turn the corner, Burke added.

“The good thing is he’s now strong enough where he is holding himself up,” Burke said, adding she’s even been able to give him supervised visits with his siblings. “He’s still very shaky, but he’s getting stronger and stronger. … When everything first started, I didn’t have any faith in anything working, because this dog declined so badly, and I’m amazed where he is today.”

“It’s still hard on his spirits,” Simmons added. “You can still tell (he’s struggling). It kind of breaks my heart because he doesn’t understand that we’re helping him by keeping him isolated from his brothers and sisters.”

Now, the next hurdle is to get Zeus into physical therapy so he can continue on his road to recovery.

In the meantime, Simmons has been collecting donations from the community, as she plans to host a garage sale on Saturday to help raise funds for his recovery.

“The bottom line is the financial hardships are just a lot,” Simmons said. “Lisa is not good at asking for help, nor is anyone. … Her daughter and our fur babies mean the world to us, and it’s been a long fight and they deserve some happiness, so it’s all for Zeus and to give back to Lisa and to Zeus.”

Since posting on social media, the “Zeus Sale” has gone viral, with numerous people generously stepping up with goods to donate, as well as monetary donations.

“It’s been so amazing to see the people who have come forward and donated stuff to us,” Simmons said. “Everything we’re doing is to give him whatever quality of life that we can. He deserves it.”

Rescue Animals Teach Compassion

As a word, a touch or a piece of fruit brings humans and animals together, Jessie Miller gets to watch.

When children and adults visit One EPIC Farm, her nonprofit’s 7-acre sanctuary on Jacksonville’s far north side, they meet animals up close. They meet horses, mules, pigs and other animals they may have never personally encountered before, and some they may have feared.

“Many people who visit the farm have never met a horse … They have never felt the soft fuzzy muzzle of a horse graze their hand as the horse takes a cut-up apple or carrot,” Miller said. “To be able to … see the human-animal connection happen — it brings me to tears at times.”

Miller established the farm in 2019 as an offshoot of her EPIC Outreach humane education nonprofit begun in 2015. After the nonprofit was formed, the second step was always going to be a sanctuary where animals would act as ambassadors.

The outreach program and its certified therapy dogs and guinea pigs have visited schools and summer camps and attended Girl Scout meetings and after-school programs, among other places. The goal of every visit is to teach young people how to care for pets, wildlife and the planet.

“EPIC Outreach exists to inspire compassion by sharing information to create a kinder world … The sanctuary serves as an education resource for the community to inspire more compassion,” she said. “The animals are all rescued and … their stories serve to inspire better love and care for farm animals, better love and care for pets, better love and care for people, better love and care for the planet.”  Miller, 43, is a full-time human resources recruiter for Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society, a nationwide animal-welfare organization, and is “pursuing a life of entrepreneurship.” She lives on the farm with husband John White and their five dogs. They have no paid staff and care for the animals themselves but have volunteers to socialize the animals and help with farm projects and at events.

Suzanne Cardiff of St. Augustine, a longtime friend of Miller’s and fellow animal-rescue advocate, is one of those volunteers. Being a part of saving at-risk animals’ lives “means the world,” she said. “She’s doing a great job out there, really making a difference,” Cardiff said.

Watching children who visit is particularly compelling. Most of them show no fear of the animals or reluctance because of their histories. “They just walk right up, completely open,” she said.

Ella Trotter, 11, the daughter of another Miller friend, is one of the younger volunteers.  “I’ve always loved animals,” she said. “It’s really fun. You get to interact with the animals and hold some of the smaller animals.”

Now that she’s an experienced volunteer, Ella also gets to feed the animals. The prospect of having horses eat out of her hand was a bit scary at first — wondering if they would mistake her finger for food — then became old hat. “They just put their mouth on your hand and grab it,” she said.

Ella also loves the pigs, particularly the newest arrivals, Pumpkin Patches and Candy Corn. “They are super sweet and fun to play with,” she said.

Purchased by Miller and her husband in 2019, the farm came with a rescue potbelly pig named Oliver already in residence. Now there are horses, donkeys, pigs, barn cats, guinea pigs, hens and a mule, rabbit, rooster and rescue dog. The farm is close to capacity, she said, but there is still space for a few more small farm animals that are in need of a home. Most of the current residents came from other rescues or animal-control facilities; the sanctuary rarely accepts animals from people who want to surrender their pets. For various reasons, all but one of the horses are never ridden.

“We tend to take the animals that are less adoptable but do great with people and other animals,” Miller said. “All the animals … get a lot of attention, so an animal that loves to be doted on is a great fit.”

She shares each animal’s story with visitors. Buck, about 22, is a favorite. He was a racehorse cast off after an injury ended his career and prevented him from being ridden.

Taz, another horse, was to be abandoned in a field if a rescue had not come along. Thumper Bumper, a bunny rabbit, was left in a hutch in someone’s backyard. Pumpkin Patches and Candy Corn, two potbelly pigs, were abandoned at an area animal-control facility.

“Kids and adults who visit are often shocked by how the animals have ended up at the farm sanctuary,” she said. “Hearing that the mule was a stray or that Oliver the pig was left abandoned on the streets … is eye-opening to many.”

Visitors usually have a favorite animal before they leave. “Sometimes they come with a favorite in mind … then they meet each individual animal and fall in love with their individual personalities,” Miller said.

All donations and fundraiser proceeds go to humane education and the animals’ care, which can be expensive. The largest expense is feed, hay, veterinary care and a $35 hoof trim every six weeks for the horses, mule and donkeys. Buck alone, who eats the most grain and hay, has a $300 monthly bill.

“So many people rally around the animals getting to a safe place and then they tend to forget that they need to be continually cared for and that takes resources like time and money to feed them and provide the best veterinary care,” Miller said. “They also need to be loved daily. Horses like Buck and Buddy who were once used for riding and then discarded after they were no longer of use find a soft place to land, but need continual support.”

Despite the long hours and constant fundraising, Miller said, the rewards of running an animal sanctuary are worth the effort. “While it may seem to be a chore for some, my husband and I love it,” she said. “To see where many of these animals came from to where they are today, nothing compares.”

And those human and animal connections she witnesses are priceless. “I love when people walk away and say thank you for letting them meet the animals,” she said. “I love receiving emails or messages of how meeting the animals made a difference in their lives or brightened their dull day. A seed gets planted for more kindness and compassion … every time someone visits and encounters the animals. Animals are the biggest healers and teachers of all.”

How Cancer Can Affect Your Pets

Cancer can strike any person at any time. Cancer does not discriminate based on gender, age or nationality, nor are pets immune to this potentially deadly disease.

The American Veterinary Medical Association says approximately one in four dogs will, at some stage in their lives, develop neoplasia, which is the uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells or tissues in the body. A neoplasm can be benign or malignant. Almost half of all dogs over the age of 10 will develop cancer. Dogs get cancer at roughly the same rate as humans. There is less information about the rate of cancer in cats.

Swollen lymph nodes ymph nodes are located throughout the body, and enlarged lymph nodes may indicate the presence of lymphoma.

Enlarged or changing lump ny lumps on the body that grow or change in shape or texture should be investigated.

Distention in the abdomen hen the stomach becomes rapidly enlarged, this may indicate the presence of a mass or tumor in the abdomen.

Weight loss hronic unexplained weight loss can be indicative of cancer or some other illness and should be taken seriously.

Unexplained bleeding leeding from any part of the body that was not traumatized should be addressed with the vet.

Other potential signs of illness include oral odor, lameness, blood in urine, and a non-productive cough.

Pet owners should discuss possible treatment plans if their pets are diagnosed with cancer. According to PetCure Oncology, in the past a cancer diagnosis may have left pet owners with little hope. However, research is now ongoing and there are new treatments that can improve quality of life and reduce the number of treatment sessions.

The company says stereotactic radiation, or SRS/SRT, is an advanced form of radiation therapy. Compared to traditional radiation therapy, SRS/SRT is delivered with extreme precision and may be used for some forms of cancer considered untreatable due to sensitive locations in the body.

This may be one part of a cancer treatment plan for companion animals. Other cancers may be treated with surgery or medications.

Pet owners can discuss their options with their veterinarians. Cancer treatment in pets, much like humans, is based on the type of cancer, how large tumors are and if the cancer has spread, advises AVMA.

With support and treatment, it may be possible to prolong the life of companion animals that have been diagnosed with cancer. (MC)

Pet Therapy

With coronavirus infections on the rise, seniors and those with pre-existing conditions continue to social distance.

But as many are isolated, nonprofit Animal Farm Foundation is making sure they still have fun and friendly interactions with pets by setting up virtual visits.

“When the pets come on they really perk up” said Christie Purks, one of about a thousand people volunteering with Animal Farm Foundation’s Pets Together Program.

During the virtual visits residents interact with pets ranging from dogs, cats, to even goats and horses. They’ve also have pet visits with little critters as well.