Voting Has Begun!

Voting for this year’s “2011 Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down” calendar has begun. We have another cast of beautiful animals and stories to share with you this year, so please follow this link to get started.

Voting for the Calendar Dogs (and Cat!) works as follows: each U.S. dollar donated equals one vote — if you donate $20.00 for Fluffy then twenty votes will go towards Fluffy. You can vote as often as you like, for as many dogs as you like, in whole dollars please. (For example, if you donate $21.74 only 21 votes will be applied.) Voting starts with a minimum of $5.00.

Voting continues until the deadline, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010 at midnight EDT.

To keep track of voting check out the Directory Page

The thirteen dogs with the highest number of votes will be the dogs featured in the 2011 Calendar. However – and this is what makes our calendar so special – all of the dogs (and the cat) will appear in the calendar in the gallery! So everyone wins and all the contestants have a place in the calendar.

About the Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down Calendar:

Our calendar is in honor of and a memorial to our beloved companions touched by cancer, and a tribute to their spirit, undaunted courage, and the unshakable loyalty they have given us.

2 Million Dogs was formed with the singular aim of eradicating cancer in pets and people and it will work towards that end by educating people about and investing in comparative oncology studies. To learn more about us, please visit www.2milliondogs.org.

2 Million Dogs is a 501 C (3) organization that relies on the generosity of individuals and corporations to help us in our mission to eradicate cancer through education and investing in comparative oncology studies.

Thank you for your votes and participating in a great cause!

61 Stones: Postscripts

"You who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut; and to the quarry from which you were dug." Isaiah 51:1-2

We gathered our 61 stones today. As each week passes, I'll remove one of them.

Some of you haven't understood why I'm doing this but when I had Malcolm I worked nonstop usually pulling 14 hrs a day and sleeping in my office most nights. God only knows how much I missed of his life.

I won't make that mistake... not this time and not with Murphy and since he was diagnosed I've thought alot about how. Then I remembered reading about a workaholic years ago who one day counted up the number of weekends he had left in his life and put a marble in a bowl for each one...

I think it's important to have a daily reminder of the transience of life and this is mine. Every stone I remove I hope to counterbalance by a week filled with love and adventures. And when no stone is left, well, we're on borrowed time and I'll cherish every moment I have with Murphy.

The stones hold a much greater significance as well which someday you'll better understand.

61 stones

Sitting in the waiting room at Colorado State University after I got the news Murphy had nasal cancer, I kept playing and replaying his prognosis in my head like an endless video loop... 15 months to live. 15 months...

That's when you realize immortality becomes mortal... that the life of the one you love is now on a clock. It's an inflection point - the difference between the waxing and waning moon and that the sun that rose with you also sets.

But it's also the realization heaven and earth aren't that far apart. For Murphy and me it's 15 months. Tomorrow I am travelling to Platte River to collect rocks, one for each week they say Murphy has to live.

61 stones.

Murphy's Radiation Treatments Finished

And CSU gave him a green bandana that says something about hugging him because he just finished radiation there. That's sweet but I thought rather it should say: "I got zapped by lasers & all I got was this lousy bandana."

It's still a little too early to tell how he's doing. Last week was tough on him as the cumulative effects of daily doses and general anesthesia took its toll. He's still a little lethargic but after a week of GI distress, Murphy seems to be improving. I've been regulating his diet with drill sergeant discipline.

So what now? The full impact of radiation therapy isn't fully evident for four months his radiation oncologist says and so now we wait. At that point Murphy will get another CT scan and if the tumor hasn't been completely irradicated we have two choices. Hopefully it'll be small enough and located in an area that the residual tissue can be surgically removed. Otherwise, more radiation. Either way, looks like we'll be spending Christmas in Colorado.

Between now and then, the biggest side effect Murphy faces is damage to the inside of his mouth, more specifically a hole forming on his hard palate. As of Friday, the redness and irritation rated a 1-2 out of a scale of 4 and we'll have to keep a constant watch for more extensive tissue damage.

This is the place to get a thorough update but you can get the abridged version on either Facebook or Twitter.

The cost of Murphy's care at CSU amounted to $5,400 and we raised $4,700 in donations. The bill's been paid in total but if you'd still like to help out just click on the Donations Button nearby.

Thank you to everyone who made contributions and afforded Murphy the best care available.

'AND MURPHY SMILES' shirt

Thanks for all your advice on the mockup - it was well received and here's the revised shirt. This is the back view. The front has the text 'CANCER CAN'T KEEP A GOOD DOG DOWN'.

Cost is $28 and the proceeds will go towards Murphy's cancer care and veterinary bills. Click on the shirt to order. Thank you for supporting Mr. Murphy in his time of need.

puppy up!

Cancer and Nutrition

Once you get the Big 'C' diagnosis like Murphy recently did, care becomes the number one concern and traditionally that means Chemotherapy, Radiation, Surgical, or Palliative or some combination thereof.

What's not part of the treatment plan is Nutrition. Surprisingly if not incredulously, there aren't a lot of studies out there about diet and cancer care. I asked my oncology team at CSU to get me all avalaible research and the results were pretty dismal.

But as most of you have encountered there's a whole host of theories, opinions, and more than a few snake oil salesmen selling 'holistic' remedies to the unfortunate desparate souls willing to try anything.

I don't have answers nor do I profess to. But what I want to do is start a serious thread on the prophylactic and therapeutic importance of nutrition for cancer dogs. That's a fancy way of asking that once your dog is diagnosed with cancer, what's the best diet for her?

I don't want this discussion to spiral into a disagreement about particular brands of dog food or kibble versus raw diet.

What it needs to be about is what vitamins, proteins, nutrients, etc. your dog needs given their type of cancer and what therapy they're undergoing.

What began this blog was a burning question I had about Murphy. What effect does the constant exposure to radiation and anesthesia have on his body & how can I offset that with his diet?

For cancer dogs, I cannot think of a more important and immediate question...

where's god now?

After I lost Malcolm to cancer I wrote a simple poem

"I left this place and head asea
Into the swells, ne'er alee.
No land I seek no shore no more
For me there is no galilee."

Press Release

Dog Who Walked Cross Country for Cancer Diagnosed with Cancer

August 12 2010 / For Immediate Release

Contact: Luke Robinson
Phone: 901.674.9621. E-mail: 2dogs2000miles@gmail.com

FORT COLLINS, CO ― After completing a two-year, 2,300-mile, cross-country cancer walk from Austin to Boston in June with his two dogs, Luke Robinson recently learned one of them, Murphy, has cancer and is now undergoing treatment at Colorado State University’s (CSU’s) Animal Cancer Center.

The walk, known as 2 Dogs 2,000 Miles (http://www.2dogs2000miles.org/) was inspired by Robinson’s loss of his dog, Malcolm, to metastatic bone cancer in 2006. Sharing Malcolm’s story and educating people about the link between cancer in dogs and humans was the primary purpose of the walk and now that it’s over, their mission isn’t.

“It’s kind of a cruel irony,” Robinson says. “Murphy, who’s nine, walked across the country so he’s in excellent shape for his age and he’s been on the best diet available to dogs. It just goes to show, cancer doesn’t always discriminate and that’s why it’s the greatest epidemic facing dogs ever. What started as a walk for me is now a war.”

This war started with a sniffle and took them to CSU. “At first I thought it was just congestion but when I noticed a trace amount of blood in his nasal discharge that concerned me,” says Robinson. A CT scan and biopsy were performed there and the diagnosis came back as adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer found in the glands of both pets and people. “It was trail magic that the cancer was discovered in Colorado. I came here after the walk to work on the book with my editor and CSU has one of the most advanced veterinary oncology programs in the world.”

Dr. Stephen Withrow, professor at CSU and founder of their Clinical Oncology Program agrees, “We have been proudly watching Luke’s journey with his two dogs, Murphy and Hudson, from afar for almost two years. Little did we know that Murphy would become a patient.”

Murphy’s prognosis is promising according to Dr. Susan LaRue, radiation oncologist at CSU. “We hope with Murphy’s treatment we can exceed the median survival for this tumor which is currently 12 to 15 months.”

Luke Robinson has higher hopes. “Murphy’s a fighter and as Winston Churchill once said, ‘In a fight always bet on the one who’s smiling.’”

And Murphy smiles.

Halfway Through Murphy's Radiation Treatments

We're more than halfway through the 18 radiation doses now. It's been hard for me to evaluate his condition without reference points. Murphy's continual congestion has been the source of some sleepless nights - I just don't want him to be uncomfortable

But today I met a Collie that received three massive doses of radiation for nasal cancer last November and not only had she lost the hair on her snout, she now has a sizable hole in her palate. By fractioning Murphy's doses over 18, the radiation oncology, Dr. LaRue, feels confident the long-term effects will be less drastic.

Only a few years ago, before IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) that uses 3D imaging to make precise adjustments to the location and intensity of radiation, in the words of one of the technicians, 'dogs looked like they had a perpetual sunburn'. I filmed Dr. LaRue going over Murphy's radiation plan with my Sony Digicam and had hoped to post it here but I'm having conversion issues. If you want to learn more about the cutting edge technology at CSU called the Varian Trilogy, here's the link.

It's because of advancements to veterinary medicine and generous donors that have made it possible for Murphy to undergo a less intensive treatment plan. Total donations raised through Paypal: $3,700 Checks: $900. Plus one pony & a couple of spare pairs of big girl panties for Mommy G.

Thank you everyone for your generosity and more importantly the emotional and spiritual support.

Postscript - healing prayers for the Collie

Don't know how to entitle this blog

Recently I received some comments to my blog 'Donations for Murphy' that someone tried to post 'Anonymously'. I rejected them at first but when I got this yesterday, well, it just needed to be dealt with. Here's their comment and my response:

"At this point, our organization is going to have to drop support of your cause - all we asked for was transparency and in return our comments are not being published and it makes the whole thing look shady."

So what is it you want me to be transparent about?

About Murphy's cancer? Well as much as I wish I'm faking his diagnosis you're more than welcome to contact CSU & find out if he's a patient. Not sure if they'll disclose much more than that but I did post a 3D rendering of the tumor in his head and also a photo of blood seeping out of his nose after a radiation treatment. Or maybe you think I photoshoped those?

Reporting of donations? I made a decision to setup a Paypal account only and not use ChipIn or Click and Pledge because I thought that would be sufficient and save time and money. Whether that was the right decision is irrelevant because the transparency you seem so intent on, they cannot provide.

While ChipIn can report the exact amount of donations, What it won't tell you is how I use that money. For all you know I could be spending it on hookers and heroin... or the pony I always wanted as a child. Season tickets to the Patriots wouldn't be bad either.

Or the money could be going towards the care of Murphy.

You need a history lesson - it took me a week to ask for donations in part because I really didn't want to ask all of the wonderful ppl who supported the walk to give more of themselves. It still bothers me but that's my own limitation as a person.

The only thing 'shady' here is people like you who feel they can make accusations and try to impugn one's character without repercussions because you do so behind the veil of anonymity. You could've posted these criticisms on my Facebook page where I have thousands of supporters but that'd mean you'd have to reveal yourself and your organization. What you would've found there is lots of folks who asked and wanted to donate.

You didn't because you're a coward and you lack the courage of your convictions. If'n when you ever have the stones to accuse me to my face - my cell is 901.674.9621. Or we're at CSU every weekday at 7:50AM for the next three weeks.

Or you can contact Ginger Morgan. Though if I was you, I'd give it a week because when I shared your comments with her, her words were, "You broke the last bit of elastic in her big girl panties and now you're going to see some ass". Her words not mine & I'm not sure I really understand what that means but it scares me... It should scare you, too.

Pete: Requiescat in Pace et in Amore

Pete just passed away. For those of you who never knew him, he was Mommy G's heart dog.

Pete personified simple happiness and my life is richer and fuller having met him.

He had this penchant for pink toys, I mean I watched in amazement as he nosed open his toy box & pulled everything out until he found a pink one. So great was his spirit and I will miss him dearly.

From everyone in the 2 Dogs family - our heart goes out to Ginger today.

Donations for Murphy

The outpouring of love and support has been heartfelt and helped us get through a few dark nights last week. Lots of you have sent requests to make donations and we're going to need it over the coming weeks. I've held off until we had a better handle on what we're dealing with and now that we got the biopsy results back last Thursday.

The estimated total cost of care for his adenocarcinoma is going to be around $6,000: $1,400 of which was for the initial CT scan and the balance for 18-20 doses of radiation. Any amount you could pitch in would be a tremendous help as this couldn't have come at a worst time (doesn't it always?). Boston was barely more than a month ago and I've been working on things in the background to provide an income for myself but just didn't have enough tarmac to launch them before this all happened.

I've opened a Paypal account which seems to be the most common way to do this but you can also send a check in c/o Ginger Morgan at 1902 Evelyn Ave Memphis 38114

In lieu of using ChipIn (which requires a Paypal account) I'll try to post donations daily so that everyone knows where we're at.

Donations received as of August 3rd: $1,400
Total Donations as of August 4th from 65 people: $2,250

Please Click on the 'Donate' button nearby