Pure Dog Talk

AKC Doubles Your Cancer Research Dollars More than 50 percent of dogs over 10 years old will be diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Diane Brown from AKC Canine Health Foundation wants to change that statistic. AKC has pledged $250,000 in matching funds this year toward research into prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of all cancers in dogs. This enables individuals and clubs who donate to the matching fund to literally double the impact of every dollar. Age is not a disease “Age is not a disease,” Brown said. “There are quality of life issues to consider, but I believe we can get to a point of treating older dogs.” Since people and dogs are affected by the same types of cancers, much of the research being done can be applied in what Brown describes as comparative oncology. Prevention and Detection In the prevention category, some cancer vaccines are a reality today and more are being studied. A melanoma vaccine is on the market now, Brown said. Early detection of cancer saves lives in dogs and in people. Curr