Trot to help canine cancer research

JANE HIRSCH
The Post and Courier

Rafter (right), a cancer survivor, and his 'support group,' Peaches and Genie, were riding high in the Trot Mobile at last year's Trot for the Cure at Magnolia Plantation.

Pets can be diagnosed with cancer, just as people can, but there are not as many fundraising drives or special events to aid their plight. The Trot for the Cure, scheduled this afternoon at Magnolia Plantation, is just such a fundraiser. Trot for the Cure's mission is to raise money and awareness for canine cancer.

Jane Hirsch dreamed up, organized and has been running Trot for the Cure since January 2005. Her dog, Rafter, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, when he was about 2. All proceeds from the Trot will go to the Arch Foundation for GA CaRES Fund at the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine. The college conducts canine cancer research, and that's where Rafter was treated.

An afternoon of fun is planned with the Dixie Dancing Dogs, a canine musical freestyle troupe that performed at last year's Trot.

Dr. Nicole Northrup, a nationally recognized veterinary oncologist at the University of Georgia, will give a presentation. Following that, a panel of UGA veterinarians and Charleston's own Perry Jameson and Kathryn Taylor will participate in a question-and-answer session about any pet health concerns.

Cancer research for animals is a growing field. Of the 74 million household dogs and 90 million cats in the United States, at least 4 million dogs and 4 million cats may develop cancer each year. The oncology department alone at UGA sees more than 3,000 pet cancer patients a year.

"It's the most common cause of death among dogs and cats," says Northrup.

Luckily, some are cured. Rafter, now 9, is a survivor. Hirsch thinks that his survival was meant to help raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

"We recently celebrated the anniversary of his last cancer treatment on Nov. 7, 2001," Hirsch says. "They gave him a year and a half to live at the most, and he's gone over six years."

Like all researchers, canine cancer experts need funding to continue their work.

"We've raised over $30,000 in the past. When I first started, I didn't know it would get this big and this well-known. It's exciting," says Hirsch. "I'm not an employee or even an alumni (of UGA), but they saved Rafter's life. I do it so that hopefully other dogs will have a chance in the future."

With the help of funds raised by Trot for the Cure, researchers at UGA have found low-toxicity treatments for lymphoma that has been resistant to standard drugs. "Currently, we're looking at a new protocol for insulinoma," says Northrup.

The money raised at the Trot will help the lives of pets and their families in a way that cannot be matched by any sum. "He is priceless," Hirsch says of Rafter. "When I have someone say they'd like to take Rafter home with them, I tell them they'll have to take me home, too."

"I think dogs are part of our family, and we want to give them the same options that are available to human family members," says Northrup. "It's also relevant for people because dogs get the same types of cancer that people get, so sometimes what we learn from dogs can be applied to people as well."