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Grateful Dog Dad Buys Super Bowl Ad Praising UW Veterinary School

You might want to take a break from watching Puppy Bowl XVI on Sunday and tune into the second quarter of that other big sports event, Super Bowl LIV.

One of the commercials will be for University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine. The $6 million, 30-second spot, appropriately titled “Lucky Dog,” isn’t being paid for by the school, but by WeatherTech, a manufacturing company whose founder and CEO is David MacNeil. The commercial features Scout, MacNeil’s 7-year-old Golden Retriever, who’s alive today thanks to the staff at the school’s teaching hospital, UW Veterinary Care.

Last summer, an aggressive tumor was growing on Scout’s heart. He had hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of blood vessel walls, and was given the grim prognosis of having only one month to live. Devastated because he had lost three previous dogs to cancer, MacNeil, with a referral from his veterinarian, took Scout to UW Veterinary Care in July 2019.

Specialists with the hospital’s emergency and critical care and oncology teams were able to quickly stabilize Scout. He was given chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy to zap his heart tumor. At the same time, he was given immunotherapy to boost his immune system so it could better attack cancerous cells.

While all those treatments may sound overwhelming, the main goal of the hospital staff along with MacNeil was maintaining Scout’s high quality of life during these procedures. “Scout is kind of the perfect patient in that he’s tolerated multiple modes of therapy very well,” said David Vail, professor of comparative oncology at the School of Veterinary Medicine, in a press release.

Amazingly, Scout’s heart tumor decreased in size by almost 80% after just one month of treatment. By September it had decreased another 10%. Today, it has pretty much disappeared.

Scout was one of 3,500 patients who visited UW Veterinary Care’s Oncology Service in 2019. Cancer is the No. 1 cause of death in older dogs, and UW Veterinary Care is conducting research and using innovative treatments to help save dogs’ (and cats’) lives. Since cancerous tumors in dogs often share the same characteristics as those in humans in regard to recurrence, spread and response to treatment, this research can help save people’s lives as well.

Scout, who’s the face of WeatherTech’s pet products, appeared in the company’s Super Bowl commercial last year. But this is the first time UW Veterinary Care has ever been in a commercial, and the faculty and staff are understandably excited about it.

“So much of what’s known globally today about how best to diagnose and treat devastating diseases such as cancer originated in veterinary medicine,” said Mark Markel, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, in the press release. “We’re thrilled to share with Super Bowl viewers how our profession benefits beloved animals like Scout and helps people, too.”

The commercial ends with a plea for viewers to donate to UW Veterinary Care so other dogs can be as lucky as Scout. You can make an online donation at weathertech.com/donate/petsmakeadifference or via the school’s website at vetmed.wisc.edu/scout/. Every dollar donated will go toward research to better diagnose, treat and prevent cancer, as well as toward the purchase of specialized equipment to help identify new cancer-fighting drugs and treatments.

In case you miss the “Lucky Dog” commercial or prefer to watch the Puppy Bowl instead of the Super Bowl (I hear ya), here it is.

Photo: uwmadison/YouTube

Two Cancer-Sniffing Dogs to Join UC Davis Medical Staff

Early detection of cancer — the second leading cause of death for people in the United States — gives patients the best chance of survival. Unfortunately, many of the screening methods available today detect cancer at later stages, when treatment is less effective.

Fortunately, in the very near future, dogs and their extraordinary senses of smell will help develop ways to detect cancer in its earliest stages.

Dogs have been trained to detect breast, lung, ovarian, prostate, thyroid and other cancers, all with amazing accuracy: 98 percent for both breast and prostate cancer, for example. Even untrained dogs have been able to sniff out their dog moms’ breast cancer and dog dad’s brain and skin cancers.

For the first time ever in the U.K., it was announced earlier this month that a clinical trial is using dogs to sniff out prostate cancer.

And for the first time ever in the U.S., it was announced at a news conference today that dogs trained in the ability to sniff out cancer will be using those skills by working with the medical staff at the University of California, Davis.

“For the past number of years, we have been developing very high-end, expensive new tests to try and detect the presence of cancer,” said Ralph de Vere White, director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a news release.

“Dogs have been doing this, detecting disease in the urine of people suspected of having bladder cancer, for example. This work marries sophisticated technology with low-tech, yet sophisticated, dogs’ noses to see if they can help us identify the molecules that differentiate cancer from non-cancer.”

In a year-long training program, two 4-month-old puppies — Alfie, a Labradoodle, and Charlie, a German Shepherd — are working with doctors, veterinarians and animal behavior specialists to develop their abilities to identify the scent of human cancer in saliva, breath and urine samples.

Dina Zaphiris, director of the InSitu Foundation, a nonprofit that trains dogs to detect cancer, is training Alfie and Charlie. She has already trained more than two dozen dogs to detect the disease. Almost any dog can be trained to detect cancer, she said, but she prefers to work with German Shepherds, Labradors, Poodles and herding breeds, “because of their work ethic.”

Alfie and Charlie’s cancer screening work will start early next year with a clinical trial to establish the effectiveness of this new approach.

“Despite all the advances of modern medicine, we still can’t reliably detect many types of cancers in their early stages,” said Peter Belafsky, a professor of otolaryngology who frequently deals with cases of advanced cancer.

“Our new canine colleagues represent a unique weapon in the battle against cancer. It’s the first of its kind at UC Davis, and the dogs’ incredible talent for scent detection could offer us humans a real jump on diagnosing cancer much earlier and thus save many more lives.”

Photo: UC Davis Health System

RIP Chester, Terminally Ill Dog Who Enjoyed Bucket List

Nicole Elliot did what many people wouldn’t. In late June, after falling in love with his photo on the Animal Ark Rescue website, she adopted Chester, a scruffy, 14-year-old Miniature Schnauzer mix who was dying of a rapidly spreading cancer.

And that’s not all Elliot did. To make Chester’s last days on Earth as pleasant as possible, Elliot created a bucket list for him. She shared their adventures on social media, quickly gaining more than 80,000 fans.

Chester was treated to oatmeal milk baths, trips to a dog park and extra treats.

“I only hope someone would do the same for me if I was terminally ill,” Elliot, of Columbia, Ga., told CNN Tuesday. “I think he deserves it. He seems to have been neglected in his past life. He is such a sweet boy.”

Chester was only able to enjoy about 11 days of being spoiled by Elliot. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge yesterday.

“I held him until his last breath and then some,” Elliott wrote on the Chester’s final journey Facebook page. “I told him it was okay to let go, and how loved he was. I know without a doubt Chester died knowing that he mattered.”

As of Saturday morning, more than 11,000 Facebook fans have left their condolences.

“He is now pain free and running around with all of your babies that have gone before him,” Elliot wrote. “Chester’s journey with us was too short lived, but his presence with us will never be forgotten.”

Photos via Facebook

Tissue (Boxes) Alert: ‘Denali’ a Touching Tribute to a Dying Dog

“It could have gone cheesy or too sappy or too sad, so quickly,” Ben Moon told TODAY last week.

He was talking about the now-viral short film, “Denali,” a beautiful tribute to his dying Pit Bull/Husky mix. Although it is indeed sad (and even funny sometimes), it is never cheesy or sappy.

Moon, a photographer who lives in Portland, Ore., rescued Denali from an animal shelter in 1999.

“As soon as I passed him, he put his paw out, cocked his head and kind of looked at me,” Moon told TODAY. “He tore a lap around the room, and then laid on my feet, and rolled up on his back, and looked at me. It felt like he chose me.”

Five years later, Moon was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Nurses at the Bend, Ore., hospital where he was being treated allowed Denali to stay with Moon.

“When he was in the hospital bed with me, he’d just sort of step up there so gently, it was kind of mind-blowing,” Moon told TODAY. “He made sure he wasn’t touching anything that was in pain and not invading my space.”

One year later, Moon was cancer free. He spent the next few years traveling around the country with Denali, snapping photos of their adventures together.

Early last year, Denali was diagnosed with cancer. Four tumors were removed, but the 14-year-old dog’s health continued to decline.

“That’s when I promised him, ‘Just let me know when it’s your time to go, man; I’m not going to let you suffer,'” Moon told TODAY. “It felt like this grand reciprocation, because he had been with me while I had gone through cancer.”

Knowing Denali’s days were numbered, Moon decided to have his final visit to the beach filmed.

“Denali” was directed and written by Ben Knight of the production company Felt Soul Media, which, according to its website, strives to “cause the rare magical goose bump that occurs when pictures and sound are squished together just right.”

The film shows that last beach visit, as well as plenty of photos that show the incredible bond between Moon and his beloved dog. It is narrated from the point of view of Denali himself.

In April, “Denali” received the Best of Festival and People’s Choice awards at the 5Point Film Festival in Colorado. It was also an official selection at Telluride Mountainfilm. Posted on Vimeo two months ago, “Denali” has gotten millions of views.

“I was hoping it would resonate and connect with people, but when we passed a million views, it was mind-blowing,” Moon told Men’s Journal.

Denali crossed the Rainbow Bridge in early February 2014. Moon told TODAY he recognized the look in his dog’s eyes, and knew it was time to end his suffering.

“It’s impossible to put into words all that you were and will always be to me,” Moon wrote in a eulogy for Denali on Instagram. “I was always convinced you were more human than dog, and all of the countless lives you touched felt the same.

“Thank you for your unwavering belief in me. Happy trails, my friend!”

Photos via Instagram

Sharky the Pit Bull, Friend of Chicks and Bunnies, Crosses Rainbow Bridge

You may not recognize his name, but you’ve probably seen his videos. Sharky the Pit Bull was usually seen gently playing with chicks, ducklings, bunnies and many other little critters — who were often perched on his head, belly or back.

Sharky, who was only 9 years old, had no difficulty winning friends small and large, but he couldn’t win his battle with cancer.

“Unfortunately my time came early and if you’re reading this, that means that I have already passed,” read a status update this afternoon on his Facebook page.

“It is my sad duty to inform you all of my battle with Cancerous Mast Cell Tumors Lymphoma. You maybe noticed I have not been wearing a doggy collar. This picture is from yesterday (notice my pale gums but happy last smile for you).”

Sharky had cancer for a few years, according to the post, but it recently spread to his internal organs.

“What can I say #CancerSucks! I will be missing you all my dear fans. I will Miss my Mommy Helen and Daddy and little 10 month old Baby Spencer. I will miss My Cool #SharkCat, chicks, roosters, chickens, ducks, geese and Oreo the Bunny…

“Please keep the #PitBull name strong and love, save and protect them for me please. I always wanted to stay positive and happy with my videos for whole world to see how cool PIT BULLS Are! Please don’t be sad, keep watching all of my videos, share and I hope I will make you smile.”

Rest in peace, Sharky. Thank you for all the smiles and being such a great ambassador for Pit Bulls. I bet there are a lot of happy angels sitting on you right now.

You can watch videos of Sharky — many of which have been viewed millions of times — on the TexasGirly1979 YouTube channel.

Photo via Facebook