Memphis to Puppy Up! on April 29th

Overton Park - Rainbow Lake Pavilion

Registration: Noon - 1:45
Walk 2:00pm
Festival Noon - 4:00pm

For more information contact Ginger at ginger@2milliondogs.org

More information about the walk can be found here!

Come join the fun and help support 2 Million Dogs!

Thanks Petmeds for helping with donations.

Dogs Get Cancer Like People, and Hold Clues to Cures

"Researchers hoping to develop a promising new approach to treating cancer in people are trying it in another group: pet dogs.

The aim of personalized medicine is to design an optimum cancer therapy after analyzing genes in a patient's tumor. Dogs, which have strong genetic similarities with humans, get many of the same types of cancers as people and have similar responses to cancer-fighting drugs. When diagnosed, dogs often have a shorter survival time than humans, allowing researchers to see if a drug is making a difference in a shorter period."

Read more at The Wall Street Journal Online

2 Million Dogs Foundation Presents $50,000 Donation to Princeton

The 2 Million Dogs Foundation presented a check for $50,000 to Princeton University on Wednesday, January 11, to help fund the school’s Molecular Study of Canine Mammary Tumor Development and Progression: from Genome To Clinical Outcome.

The 2 Million Dogs Foundation is committed to discovering the common links between canine and human cancers and the causes of these cancers through comparative oncology research.

The money presented was raised by holding a series of walks, called “The Puppy Up! Walk.” The events served not only as a fundraiser, but also brought attention to the field of comparative oncology, which is relatively new. 2 Million Dogs hopes to educate people about its tremendous potential through a global campaign of strategic partnerships, seminars, speaking engagements, social media, events, broadcasts, and other forms of media.

“Through The Puppy Up! Walk, we are building the largest pet and people cancer community in the world; from business people to artists to scientists and humanitarians, a partnership forged with the singular purpose of ridding the world of its deadliest disease,” said Luke Robinson the organization’s Founder.

The organization’s scientific objectives are: Broadening our understanding of the links between human and companion animal cancer, creating a cross institutional collaborative platform, developing new approaches to research, and funding translational cancer studies that benefit both pets and people.

Mammary tumors are the most common tumors in intact female dogs, and in humans, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women - approximately one in eight women develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Mammary tumors in dogs and breast cancer in women have many similarities, both in terms of risk factors and biology.

An important challenge in fighting breast cancer is understanding the malignant progression of tumors. 2 Million Dogs foundation is funding a genome-wide study of the molecular alterations associated with this progression based on canine mammary tumors at different stages of transformation.

In order to be able to do this research, Dr. Karin Sorenmo of the University of Pennsylvania has established a Shelter Canine Mammary Tumor Program. This research is a combination of her clinical expertise and Dr. Troyanskaya’s group (Princeton University) expertise in cancer genomics and bioinformatics.

Robinson says “Collaborating with Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania is an intersection of great ideas and great expectations and we feel the research will provide us with invaluable insight into the most prolific cancer afflicting women in the United States.”

This Program thus forms a true bridge between clinical and translational research, integrating clinical care with cutting-edge biomedical science while providing homeless dogs with the high quality treatment they need to survive. By providing this care they are able to utilize their clinical information and tumor tissue for research purposes, thus providing care; advancing research. This research is to our knowledge the first genome-wide molecular study of natural tumor progression in dogs or humans.

The 2012 Calendars Ready to Order

Just in time for the holidays! You can pre-order your 2012 Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down calendars here.

Our own Murphy is on the cover of the 2012 Calendar. And for the first time we have two covers from which you can choose. One is of Luke carrying Murphy, the brave and valiant soldier, the one who was always the first out of the tent, who walked thousands of miles, always smiling, for others; the one whose courage and strength will always lead the way because he embodied our rally cry and our song, “Puppy Up!'

The other cover is of Murphy running through a field in Bowling Green, KY just a little over a month before he was given rest. Cancer may have won the war but according to this picture, Murphy won the battle that day. It’s the battles won along the journey that we cherish and remember most.

What makes our calendar so special? Our calendars aren’t just a collection of pretty faces, although they certainly are that. Each month features a special dog and his or her story, written by the person who loved them best. Our calendars also include not only the regular ‘people’ holidays but special dog holidays as well, like International National Dog Biscuit Day, Squirrel Appreciation Day, K9 Veterans Day, International Homeless Pet Day, Stand up to Cancer Day, and a whole collection of special days set aside just for the dog.

Additionally, our calendar features photos of all the dogs entered into the calendar contest, a gallery of last year’s winners, and special features like the 10 early warning signs of cancer in dogs, a selection of photos from this year’s Puppy Up! Walks nation-wide, a note from Luke, and a special message from our Executive Director, Ginger Morgan.

These calendars make great gifts for family and friends, your vet, groomers, pet stores, your Great Aunt Bessie from Duluth, and are terrific keepsakes as well.

We know you will enjoy the beautiful layout and special features of our one-of-a-kind calendar. Order yours today!

For orders over 10, please contact Ginger for shipping and handling costs at: ginger@2milliondogs.org

2012 Calendar Contest

Our 4th annual “Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down” Calendar Contest has begun! The contest runs through midnight Central time October 1st.

Our unique calendar is a collection of 13 original stories and photos about dogs who have had or are currently fighting cancer. What makes the 2 Million Dogs’ calendar distinctive is that we also have a two page gallery of many of the runners-up, and we also print the winners from last year’s contest. Our calendar honors and memorializes our beloved companions touched by cancer, and is a tribute to their unfaltering spirit, undaunted courage, and the unshakable loyalty they have given us.

If you would like to enter your dog, or know someone who would, please click here. You’ll find instructions for uploading your stories and photos there.

Voting has already begun and instructions for voting are here.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please write to 2MDcalendar@gmail.com.

Check back to the site often as new stories and photos are added almost daily.

Come join the fun and help support 2 Million Dogs!

2 Million Dogs Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is committed to discovering the common links between canine and human cancers and the causes of these cancers through education and awareness, empowerment and mobilization, and investment in research.

Murphy May 31, 2001 - June 22, 2011

For the past 3 years I have had the honor and blessing of being a part of Murphy’s life. I have learned so much from him and he inspired me, daily.

While I am the Executive Director to 2 Million Dogs – my most treasured role was Mommy to the boys. It is a role that changed my life, forever.

The weeks leading up to June 22 were painful, joyful, stressful, exhilarating and everything in between. I have seen the strength of Luke as he was faced with decision after decision. A decision, I hope no other pet parent will have to face.

As we move forward with our lives without Murphy’s presence – he will always by our sides and in our hearts. His legacy is one of strength and courage. A symbol of why we fight this dreaded disease of cancer.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your compassion and loyalty to Murphy. Now, it’s time for all of us to continue the fight, as he would have wanted that.

To Murphy, my boy. Thank you for allowing me to come into your world. Thank you for your everlasting love and guardianship. Even in those moments of struggle, you were a constant protector. We now believe that you are in the Protecting Arms of Heaven. I will miss you, always.

I love you, Mommy
(Ginger Morgan, Executive Director)

Blogathon for a Cure!

8AM Saturday, February 5th and running until 2AM Sunday, February 6th, each of our 4 bloggers will post one blog entry an hour. That’s 18 hours of fun give-aways, contests, trivia, tributes, and just plain jollification. Check back here later for a full list of prizes and give aways!

Thanks to Nova Dog Magazine

Thanks to Nova Dog Magazine who raised over $1,200 for 2 Million Dogs 2 Miles with their Blogathon this past weekend. It’s hard to stay awake for 18 straight hours but bloggers Janelle at Nova Dog Magazine, Lydia and Patti at Daisy and Bob’s blog and Beth at Chicks Love Beer Blog did just that to help us raise funds for Cancer research.

Thanks to the many people who donated money, sponsored each hour and donated prizes. We could not accomplish all that we do without your support.

Walk raises money for cancer research that will benefit dogs and people - Reporter Herald

After Luke Robinson lost a Great Pyrenees dog to cancer, he and his two remaining dogs took a walk — a long walk. The trio walked 2,000 miles over two years, from Austin, Texas, to Boston, Mass., to share his story and raise awareness about cancer in dogs. That effort grew into a foundation and a national effort to bring dogs and owners together to raise money for cancer research to benefit both people and dogs. Read More...

2 Million Dogs featured on Examiner.com and the Coloradoan

Article on Examiner.com (read here) and Coloradoan.com (read here) about 2 Million Dogs and our Puppy Up! walk.

Luke, Hudson and Murphy to appear on Animal Planet Dogs 101

Oct. 2 @ 8:00pm (check local listings) Animal Planet Dogs 101 - Luke, Hudson and Murphy of 2 Dogs 2000 miles will appear in the segment about Great Pyrenees and tell about their travels from Austin to Boston to bring awareness to canine cancer and comparative oncology.

November 7, 2010 Inaugural Puppy Up! Walk

It began with a promise to raise awareness of canine cancer one mile, one city, and one person at time. Luke Robinson with his two dogs walked 2000 miles from Austin to Boston to fulfill the promise he made to his dog Malcolm who died from this horrible disease. Visit www.2dogs2000miles.org for more information about their walk.

2 Million Dogs was formed on the belief that if 2 dogs can walk 2000 miles to bring awareness to cancer surely 2 million dogs can walk 2 miles. Our mission benefits the study of canine cancer and comparative oncology. Be a part of history this November 7th as thousands in cities all across America join in on the promise to bring awareness to cancer.

Sign up now for the Inaugural 2 Million Dogs Puppy Up! Walk in your area… there will never be another first time like this to Puppy Up! against cancer.

A cancer-free world starts with one dog, each mile at a time.

Luke, Hudson and Murphy appear on Today Show

On The Today Show with Jill Rappaport and Meredith Vieira. Read More...

Newtown CT Puppy Up! Walk

Awesome video from Video Art Works Productions of our Newtown CT Puppy Up! Walk. Watch Now...

2 Dogs 2000 Miles in the news

Fox - Boston
WWLP - Boston
Fox DC
ABC 7 in DC
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
ZooToo
Williamson Herald
Fox 17 Nashville

In March 2008 and man and his two dogs embarked on a cross country trek that was inspired by the loss of his Great Pyrenees to cancer. Some of you have heard the story of Luke Robinson, Hudson and Murphy... read more