Hot off the presses comes this announcement straight from the big dog at Dogster…

We are happy to announce the launch of a new campaign: for each new annual Plus subscription purchased from today until the end of August, Dogster will donate $2 to help save dogs.

All funds will go to Cure Canine Cancer, an exemplary medical research effort being run by the excellent Morris Animal Foundation. The more folks that join Plus during this time period, the more money will be donated to these important causes, and the more we know you are with us for the long haul.

Get those paws moving,  sign up for Dogster Plus and get great member benefits plus help donate money to some great causes. Now, that’s a win win situation.

Finding out your dog has cancer, or as we call it in our house “Madge”, is one of the greatest fears pet owners have. If you’re wondering why we call it “Madge”, the answer is simple, doesn’t it sound a lot less intimidating.  Plus, I bet it made you smile.

I came across an interesting article to help alleviate some fears and/or answer some of your questions.

DENVER, July 11, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Dog owners and lovers in the United States view canine cancer as the greatest health threat to their beloved pets. They are correct. One in four dogs die of cancer. Cancer is the number one cause of death in dogs over the age of 2. Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has posted on its Web site, http://www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.org, a canine cancer exclusive of special interest to dog owners and dog lovers everywhere.

We can also give our support to help fight this disease.

MAF has launched an unprecedented global campaign to raise funds to cure canine cancer in the next 10 to 20 years, and while seeking the ultimate cure, to develop more effective treatments for dogs suffering from cancer today. MAF is funding canine cancer research at many of the top veterinary colleges in the world. Learn more about the campaign at http://www.CureCanineCancer.org.

If we all put our paws together hopefully we will beat this disease once and for all.

Our new Daily Dog and Cat Tip writer, the author of the amazing books The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible, wanted to make sure we knew about the amazing 2,400 mile walk of Luke Robinson and his dogs Hudson and Murphy, known as 2 Dogs, 2,000 Miles. Luke is true salt of the earth, a real person simply and passionately dedicating years of his life to our canine companions. He’s not doing it for fame, notoriety or something to do. Heck, I dare you to find Luke’s first and last name in the same place on the site. It’s not about him at all. He’s doing it for dogs, and all of humanity.

After losing his beloved Malcom to canine cancer in 2004, Luke Robinson decided it’s time we stop trying simply to cure canine cancers, but to learn why they are happening.

There are many cancer foundations which work towards finding a cure, and while we applaud their efforts, we want to know what’s causing it. The funds raised from the walk will finance the first ever nationwide epidemiological canine cancer study.

They are currently in Little Rock, AR on their walk from Austin, TX to Boston, MA. On their blog you can follow along on the whole trip, which is much much more than a solitary walk. They are stopping at every pet, shelter and rescue event along the way to help raise awareness and both for canine cancer and the local organizations. And every step of the way they are sharing the stories of loss with other pet owners. Finally, after each day Luke and the dogs are sleeping under the roofs of starngers who every day come forward to help the pack in their great journey.

Here is an interactive map with all the way points to date.
CommunityWalk Map - 2 Dogs 2000 Miles
[Click here if you do not see the map.]

Tracie has posted a great correspondence with Luke and his team.

If you can handle the tears, there’s a loving yet heart squeezing Memorials page on Luke’s site dedicated to every doggie who has been beaten by cancer. There’s also a flickr photo memorial group they made open to anyone.

Here’s a great video explaining what they are doing:

[Click here if you do not see the video.]

We’ll be following Luke and Pack from here on out!

[Photo copyright Mark Vogel, 2008]