On Saturday April 29, over 600 walkers gathered in Elk Grove near Sacramento to walk in support of Morris’ groundbreaking work to end canine cancer.

Team Tripawds raised a whopping $1,540, more money than ever before, which propelled us to the 8th most successful fundraising team out of 30 that registered.

The Tripawds Tribute leash also made its first public debut. Stay tuned for an update about this beatiful project  from Modpawd Karen.

Ruby the Wiggle Dancer posted fun photos from the walk, visit her blog to see more!

Your Help Supports Morris’ Scientific Successes

Currently cancer is the no. 1 cause of death in dogs over the age of 2. Morris Animal Foundation will use proceeds from the walk to fund studies that will help create a healthier tomorrow for dogs.

Through Morris’ Cure Canine Cancer campaign, they are currently funding more than 35 canine cancer studies.

In 2011, Morris studies yielded a number of promising results, particularly in the areas of treatment and genetics.

Morris funding helped scientists

• Identify advantages of administering chemotherapy in frequent, low-level doses in dogs
• Discover genetic information that could lead to a prognostic lymphoma test
• Evaluate the usefulness of advanced imaging techniques to determine early treatment response noninvasively
• Identify inherited deficiencies in the ability of Golden Retrievers with lymphoma to repair DNA

New developments like these are taking place all the time, and each one brings us one step closer to better preventions, treatments and, one day, a cure.

Thank you Team Tripawds, we are honored that you chose to support the efforts of this pawesome organization!

Let’s give a BIG PAWS UP to everyone who has generously helped to support the team. With a total of $1,540 raised so far (and counting!), Team Tripawds is in spot #8 on the list of Top Ten teams who’ve raised the most funds! Thanks everypawdy!

Charon Coonfield
Jackie Bouchard
Brad Burkholder
Jackie & Cindy Crowder
Kim Fraser
Brian & Deandre Gabor
Desiree Haight
Diane & John Hollenbeck
Anna Holmes
Julie Horenstein
Fiona Iwan
Mary James
Ralph Kanz
Joanie Knorpp
Heather Knutsen
Martha Lowe
Susan McCauley
Micki Monroe
Holly Nishimitsu
Leslie Pierce
Karen Riley
Neill & Peggy Riley
Cindy Sipple
Mary Sommer
Deborah Stafford
James Starr
Tripawds.com
Robert Vincik

We will also be revealing the wonderful Tripawds Tribute Leash that’s currently being crafted by Tripawds member Karen Riley! If you haven’t sent in your tribute ribbon for the project, please read about how you can do that here.

It’s still not too late to show your support and walk with us in person or from your home. Support the Morris Animal Foundation’s Canine Cancer Campaign, by joining Team Tripawds Today!

Remember, all funds from the Cure Canine Cancer Walks fund the work of oldest and most respected animal health research organizations in the world, the Morris Animal Foundation.

We wholeheartedly support Morris Animal Foundation because of the huge impact their Cure Canine Cancer Campaign has had on the lives of our beloved dogs. Their succesful canine cancer studies give us hope that a cure is definitely coming.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When a dog has cancer, it’s especially important to carefully consider your dog’s risk of exposure to environmental dangers like wild animal bites, ticks, etc., and weigh the risks and benefits of each vaccine before proceeding.

You may be surprised to learn that the chance of contracting certain diseases is exceptionally low in your part of the world, especially if your dog spends most of the day indoors.

How to Waive a Rabies Vaccine Requirement

Should you decide to eliminate vaccines altogether, you’ll encounter a few obstacles, especially when it comes to boarding or licensing your dog. The rabies vaccine is the only vaccine mandated by every state in the U.S. because of the risk this disease poses to both humans and animals. However, if you and your veterinarian both believe that your dog can be harmed by the vaccine, you might have a way to avoid the rabies vaccine requirement.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently announced that while it does support the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians’ (NASPHV) recommendation that all dogs, cats, and ferrets should be vaccinated to protect against rabies infection, the AVMA now recognizes some animals might require a waiver from rabies vaccination when it poses an unacceptably high risk to the health of an animal.

If adequate steps can be taken to minimize the chance of exposure to rabies virus, the AVMA recommends that such animals be granted a waiver from mandatory rabies vaccination, upon recommendation of a licensed veterinarian and with the concurrence of the appropriate public health authorities.

The AVMA goes on to state on this recent policy announcement that the vaccine waiver “should be based upon clinical evidence that the animal would be at considerable risk of being harmed by the vaccine because of a diagnosed medical condition . . . and the appropriate public health authorities concur that the waiver should be issued.”

If you want to be at the forefront of the movement to avoid rabies vaccines in dogs with cancer, you may have your work cut out for you, but the AVMA’s downloadable rabies waiver template is a great place for you and your vet to start.

Download AVMA Annual Rabies Vaccination Waiver Template

Many thanks to Tripawds Friend Gina Snow, a Licensed Veterinary Technician in Maine, who told us about this new waiver.

 Join Team Tripawds Today!

Funds raised at the Cure Canine Cancer Walks go toward funding the work of oldest and most respected animal health research organizations in the world, the Morris Animal Foundation.

We wholeheartedly support Morris Animal Foundation because of the huge impact their Cure Canine Cancer Campaign has had on the lives of our beloved dogs.

Since 1948, Morris has funded over 148 succesful canine cancer studies, such as;

• Research that showed how bone cancer spreads
• Ways to custom tailor chemotherapy
• How chemo resistant cancer cells behave

The Morris Canine Cancer Walks help raise money so Morris can continue these breakthrough discoveries.

Join Us in Elk Grove, or at Home in Your PJs!

This walk will take place in Elk Grove, near Sacramento. Anybody is welcome to join our team on-site, but remember you can also walk virtually from the comfort of your own home.

We will also be revealing the wonderful Tripawds Tribute Leash that’s currently being crafted by Tripawd member Karen Riley! If you haven’t sent in your tribute ribbon for the project, please read about how you can do that here.

Team Tripawds has participated in every walk since they began a couple of years ago, and we would sincerely appreciate any kind of support you can give toward this effort.

Let’s make this year’s Northern California walk bigger and better than ever so we can reach our goal of curing canine cancer for good!

 Join Team Tripawds Today!

Thanks to the efforts of thousands of people like you around the globe, 2 Million Dogs  recently contributed $50,000 to fund its first research initiative collaboration: a breast cancer study benefiting both humans and canines at Princeton University.

2MillionDogs is a charitable organization dedicated to discovering the common links between canine and human cancers and the causes of these cancers through comparative oncology research.

Join us this Sunday to call in and talk to Luke.

Date: Sunday, February 26, 2012
Time: 3:00pm PST (4:00 MT, 6:00 Eastern)

Duration: 30 min.
Call In Number: (310) 388-9739*

Tune In Here: Interview with Luke Robinson of 2 Million Dogs
Share Link: bit.ly/ttr022612

*You do not need to call to hear the show. Listen live here and join us in the chat room or call (310) 388-9739 with your questions.

Luke will talk about this exciting new study, the group’s upcoming fundraising events and of course his epic two-year journey across America with his beloved dogs, Hudson and Murphy, to raise awareness about canine cancer.

Related Reading:

2 Million Dogs Reports from Texas Puppy Up Walk
2000 Miles To End, 2 Million Dogs Begins

Join us in the Tripawds Live Chat during the show!

DISCLAIMER: Information provided at Tripawd Talk Radio and Tripawds.com is not a substitute for medical care by a qualified veterinary professional. Always seek the advice of a licensed veterinarian prior to making any medical decisions about your dog’s health. Tripawds.com is not responsible or liable, for any damages resulting from the use (or misuse) of information contained in or implied herein.

Yesterday, our paths came full circle when we caught up with him at the San Antonio Texas 2 Million Dogs Walk.

Puppy Up, Texas Style!

Luke was at the San Antonio walk because these enthusiastic Texans raised more money for the cause than any other city in America. As the saying goes, everything’s bigger in Texas, and this event was no exception.

With dozens of vendors, hundreds of attendees and more dogs than humans, this fun-filled day was packed with good times for everyone.

In looking back at the afternoon, Luke told us “The energy and excitement were at levels I rarely see. Every aspect of it felt really good!”

When reflecting on the time span between his journey across America and the exceptional turnout at the San Antonio walk, Luke says “The trail magic continues to follow us after the walk, and I really felt that today.”

Last year, there were 12 walks across the country to help 2 Million Dogs raise money for comparative oncology studies. This year, the number of walks exploded to 27. Next year the organization is aiming for even more.

In addition to meeting up with Luke and 2 Million Dogs’ Executive Director Ginger Morgan, Tripawds Spokesdawg Wyatt Ray got to meet some really heroic pups!

Among them was Colonel, a Tripawds member who was looking for a home earlier this year and found it as a therapy dog with Penny’s From Heaven, a project pairing highly trained canines with returning wounded soldiers and civillians in hospital, rehabilitation and hospice settings.

We’ll tell you more about Colonel’s work in a future post, but meanwhile lots of other Tripawds were present, including a greyhound osteosarcoma survivor and a rescue pup named Galileo who’s now living the good life with some very special people.

What’s Next for 2 Million Dogs?

Everyone who’s helped raise funds for 2 Million Dogs will soon see the results of their hard work. Luke and Ginger report that the group is close to picking a comparative oncology study to fund, hopefully by the end of this year.

After dozens of conversations with promising researchers from  around the nation, Luke says that he’s confident that the study selected will be “a game changer” in canine cancer research. “We want to fund studies that have a ghost of a chance of truly having an impact,” he told us.

Over the last two years the organization has done their due diligence to find the right study. Instead of focusing on novel therapeutic studies, such as chemotherapy drug outcomes for a specific breed, 2 Million Dogs is focused on prevention, diagnosis and studies that are working toward finding a cure. This means that the studies they are honing in on will cost more than most studies and take longer to fund.

Next year the impact of the 2 Million Dogs mission will take shape as the money raised from all “Puppy Up” walks gets applied toward these studies that will work toward eradicating canine and human cancers, once and for all.

Stay tuned for a big announcement from 2 Million Dogs about their study selection, which should happen by the end of this year.

Today we learned that thanks to Tripawd Kess and her Mom Tombi, Rio will be Grand Marshall of the parade!

Meet Rio and Team Tripawds at 10:00 am at:

Roegner Park
601 Oravetz Rd
Auburn, WA 98092

Rio’s Mom Micki organized Team Tripawds for this annual walk and celebration in honor of canine cancer heroes.

Rio’s team raised over $500 for this event, which will help fund comparative oncology studies to eradicate cancer in dogs and people. Although the team has met their fund raising goal, it’s not too late to chip in to help this impawtant cause.

2 Million Dogs Walks are being held throughout the nation this weekend. Check this page for a city near your home. See you there!

“What a beautiful day we had for the Paw Rade in Mainstrasse Village!” says Barb. “It was great to have the opportunity to talk with so many pet owners, rescues and shelter people about the best group of folks around–the Tripawds community, our extended family.”

Barb and John’s “Mission of Hope” is their way of honoring the support they received while their Hope went through her own amputation journey and soon after succumbed to kidney failure. The Youngs have started this outreach program to offer information and support to Tripawd dogs in the Cincinnati area.

“Tripawds folks gave us so much support and encouragement after Hope’s surgery, that in honor and remembrance of her, we have started the Tripawds.com Cincinnati Outreach Program, ‘Mission of Hope’” Barb told us.

“It was easy to tell people how all of you have taken the path that is before them, and how you can help them along the way.

So many people told me that they wished they had known about tripawds when their pet had surgery,” she added.

Create Tripawd Awareness in Your Town

Spreading the word about the amazing capabilities of three-legged dogs is easy and doesn’t have to cost a lot. Print our free Tripawds fliers, then pass them out to your veterinarian, dog food store, beautify salon . . . “Anywhere and everywhere,” says Barb, “because there are people out there who need YOU and the support you and this community can give them.”

If you have an opportunity to set up a booth at an animal function, “do it!” Barb says. “It’s easy and you will get far more out of the event that you put in. Email me and I will give you all the info you need to do an event!”

At the Paw-Rade, the Youngs set up a beautiful table, and had beautifully-packaged, tasty homemade dog cookies ready for hungry pups.

Barb turned her kitchen into a biscuit bakery, and baked several different types of treats for the event.

Although competition was stiff among the many different treat vendors, Barb added a classy touch to her offerings. Instead of grabbing treats out of a jar when a customer requested some, she used tongs to bag their order. This gave her treats a cleaner, more sanitary look than typical treat vendors.

In addition to dog treats, Barb addressed the feline fans at the Paw-Rade, with her homegrown catnip treats.

They even had Charger, a Tripawd pup staff the booth to show everypawdy what three legged dogs can do!

“It really was a great time for everyone and gave me a good opportunity to talk with other rescues about tripod animals they might rescue in the future,” says Barb.

We’ve never seen a more well-dressed bunch of pups anywhere!

Thank you Barb and John for all of your hard work to raise over $100 to help Tripawds.com, and show the world that Tripawds Rule!

 [[Show as slideshow]]

Join Team Captain Rio for a fun afternoon of celebrating our heroic Tripawds and quadpawds, honoring our angel dogs and banding together to help find a cure to end canine cancer. All proceeds go to the 2 Million Dogs organization which is committed to discovering the common links between canine and human cancers and the causes of these cancers through comparative oncology research.

We hope you can be there but if you can’t, please consider making a gift of any amount through the 2 Million Dogs Team Tripawds web page. Or, look for a walk near you and start your own Team Tripawds!

If you’re walking, be sure to show your Tripawd Pride by wearing your Team Tripawds shirt, available in our Tripawds Gift Shop!

Veterinary Oncology Q&A with Dr. Johnny Chretin

Date: Sunday, 10/23/2012
Time: 6:30 p.m. Eastern (3:30 Pacific)
Length: 30 min

Special Guest: Dr. Johnny Chretin, DVM, DACVIM

Call-in Number: (310) 388-9739
Share: bit.ly/ttr102311 (Link to this topic.)

Join us for our second informative canine cancer interview with veterinary oncologist Dr. Johnny Chretin, DVM, DACVIM from VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital.

As head of VCA’s busiest animal oncology clinic in the country, Dr. Chretin and his staff provide breakthrough treatments for all types of cancers, including a bone marrow transplant program for dogs with lymphoma!d

Listen as we discuss the presentation and diagnosis of cancer in dogs such as osteosarcoma and the various treatment protocols available. Then call in with your questions or chat live during the show!

Reply to this topic with questions and we will try to get them answered. Please keep your questions brief and specific.

We will post an audio archive of this program here after the show.

Dr. Chretin on Tripawds:

• Don’t miss our previous Tripawd Talk Oncology Interview with Dr. Chretin.
• Check out our interviews with Dr. Chretin about impawtant veterinary oncology topics.