A New Dog In Town

I've been sniffing around the 2dogs2000miles blog for a while now -- a writer without a good cause to write about. But as Fate (a small town in Texas) would have it, I was tapped to fill in for The Big Dog when he can't blog himself. So here I am, a puppy at blogging. My part here is to write for Luke when he finds himself beyond the reaches of technology, silent in the wilderness. I hope you will enjoy the adventures I relay to you from Luke and The Boys as they make their way across country. We have many stories already in the works. And, of course, lots of pictures to share.

I come to this project with my own story, of course. I lost two of my own dogs to cancer. Sturm, a beautiful German Shepherd, was the love of my young life, and he saved me from the depths of despair, otherwise known as teenage angst. But at 11 he was stricken with squamous cell carcinoma. In those days (mid-70s), dogs weren't candidates for intervention therapy. He lived two more happy years, despite the cancer, and we made the best of every moment. Many beautiful dogs later, another of my pack, Linga (known to all her friends as Tingles), my sweet little red-haired Collie mix, was diagnosed with leukemia. But she too was a fighter and was a cancer survivor for three more years. We lost her in April 2006. My heart broke again.

And so I find myself here. I can't walk with Luke and The Boys. But I can help him tell their story. I hope you enjoy what we bring to you, together. I dedicate my efforts to Sturmie and Linga, Malcolm and Kubie, and all the dogs who have lost their lives to this disease. And to all the dogs who struggle still, and all the hearts that fill with hope that canine cancer will be a thing of the past. I'm glad to be a part of the 2 dogs 2000 miles team. I invite you to join in their efforts.

Puppy Up!
Erich & His 4 Pack

Animal Cancer Foundation

It's humbling the outpouring of support for our journey but we're only walking 2,300 miles. Some of history's greatest travelers are scientists and their quest never ends.

Dr. Geral Post, a veterinarian oncologist of national repute, began a similar quest when he started the Animal Cancer Foundation in 1998. Their mission is developing and funding research that advances the prevention and treatment of cancer for people and pets.

When we had the good fortune to meet back in December, I asked him to put together a list of five of the most pressing areas of research needed right now. Epidemiological studies was one such topic and on a conference call, we discussed it further. No one knows exactly what types of canine cancers are occuring around the country, how common they are, and how fast they're growing.

As stunning as it may seem in this Age of Information, such a comprehensive nationwide study has never been conducted mainly because it's expensive. I think I can help out with that was my response. Since then I've spent some time with him and his right hand, Charlotte Lee, and recently they invited me to participate in ACF's last board meeting. Though it seemed more like I 'bribed' them with the cookies and creme cake I had delivered for the occasion.

No doubt about it, they're perfect partners for us and we've taken that one step further. On the Contributions page on our website, you can now make donations directly to ACF on behalf of 2 Dogs 2,000 Miles and they'll keep those funds restricted for this monumental study we're all working towards.

We look forward towards a long and successful relationship with Dr. Post, Charlotte, and the Animal Cancer Foundation.