You can pre-order our 2013 calendar here! Join the fight against canine cancer with this wonderful calendar full of heartfelt stories about our canine friends and their loving families!
Animal Advocate Spreads Canine Cancer AwarenessCBS Pittsburgh covers 2 Million Dogs:
Man on mission to raise funds for research of cancers in dogs, peoplePITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Animal advocate Luke Robinson and his pair of great Pyrenees are on a cross-country mission.
His non-profit “2 Million Dogs” foundation is sponsoring 40 so-called “Puppy Up” walks, to spread awareness of cancer’s effect on our pets, and ourselves. His tour brought him to Market Square on Wednesday, for the first in a series of Pittsburgh area events.
The Texas man’s beloved dog Malcolm inspired his own 2,300-mile walk from Austin to Boston in 2010.
“It really was walking from town to town,” he says, and sharing Malcolm’s story, “and telling people, look, you know, our canine counterparts, our companions get cancer too.”
Beautiful article in the Chicago Tribune:
When his beloved Great Pyrenees dog Malcolm died from bone cancer in 2004, Luke Robinson was sad and angry.
Adding to his loss: Nobody could tell him why.
"I didn't even know dogs could get cancer," Robinson said.
Beginning in 2008, Robinson and two of his other dogs, Murphy and Hudson, walked from his home in Texas to Boston to raise awareness about cancer in pets and links to human cancers as well. With stops and starts along the way, and Robinson and the dogs camping or staying with host families, the journey lasted more than two years.
Read Full Article (Free membership required)
Summer of Murphy News CoverageCheck out this great interview on KEYE Austin:
"Robinson has witnessed first-hand how a young cancer patient benefited from a limb-sparing technique developed and tested by dogs. 'It was very heart-warming and touching for me to see that -- cosmetically she looked completely unaffected by bone cancer and it was dogs that enabled her to have that surgery,' said Robinson, recalling how he met the girl who was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 11."
Killeen Daily Herald/Harker Heights Herald
Click here to follow the Summer of Murphy Tour
You cannot resist me. You must come and vote …
Some really nice (and very tired) man has posted ALL our stories and photos, and now it’s time for you to vote for us. There are a lot of us to look at and admire. We’ll make you laugh and cry, and inspire you with our fortitude and love. So, don’t just sit there. (Yeah, I see you.) Click on the link (after all, you have those fancy opposable thumbs) and start voting.
Sit. Stay. Until you’ve voted … every day.
Your voting dollars not only help choose the winning 13 puppers this year, but your dollars will help support funding research with The Broad Institute. That’s very important. Follow this link to find out why.
PS — Thank you. And puppy up!
Voting for the 2013 Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down is now Live!Here’s the link to take you to voting. Instructions are there.
Check out all the terrific contestants we have in this year’s calendar contest and go vote for your favorites! (Yes, that’s plural. Of course!)
Voting has been extended to August 8th, midnight EDT. So you have plenty of time to vote early and often.
Remember, your voting dollars will help decide the 13 winners of this year’s contest and proceeds will go to help fund a study with The Broad Institute.
And there’s still time to enter your pupper into the contest. If your pup has had cancer (living or passed), or currently has cancer and you’d like to enter the contest, send us a photo (jpg or tiff only) greater than 500 KB and a story of about 150 words to erich@2milliondogs.org. We’ll send you a note back that we got your entry and post it ASAP.
For more on the calendar, please visit our blog here.
We're Takin' Names ... and photos and stories. Yes, the 2013 Cancer Can't Keep a Good Dog Down calendar contest is up and running. Now's your chance to immortalize your beloved friend, and have a direct hand in influencing canine cancer research. Let your pup's story inspire others! For information on how to enter your canine cancer hero, contact Erich at erich@2milliondogs.org. and follow this link for complete details: http://tiny.cc/gqxggw.
Vote for 2 Million Dogs on June 20th in Toyota’s "100 CARS FOR GOOD" Program
Vote for us on June 20th at www.100carsforgood.com. Think you might forget? Check it out before June 20th and click on the “remind me” button.
This year we are planning a tour to bring awareness of our mission, which is discovering the common links between cancer in pets and people, and to promote our nationwide Puppy Walks. A car donated by Toyota will not only enable us to expand our tour, visit the cities where we have our Walks, attend conferences, fund more cancer research, but also help us educate people about the early warning signs of cancer. Many lives can be saved by early detection and proper health care.
Comparative Oncology is important and necessary if we dare to dream of a world where cancer is not one of the top killers or our children, our parents and our pets.
Please vote for us on June 20th at www.100carsforgood.com, in memory of Murphy, who walked 2300 miles to bring awareness to our mission and sadly died from this horrible disease last June.
Memphis to Puppy Up! on April 29thOverton 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
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 ContestOur 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.
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)
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 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 HeraldAfter 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...
Article on Examiner.com (read here) and Coloradoan.com (read here) about 2 Million Dogs and our Puppy Up! walk.
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.
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.
A cancer-free world starts with one dog, each mile at a time.
On The Today Show with Jill Rappaport and Meredith Vieira. Read More...
Newtown CT Puppy Up! WalkAwesome video from Video Art Works Productions of our Newtown CT Puppy Up! Walk. Watch Now...
Fox - Boston
WWLP - Boston
Fox DC
ABC 7 in DC
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
ZooToo
Williamson Herald
Fox 17 Nashville
