Dogs 'puppy up' in canine cancer walk

Thanks to Linda Fuoco of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for this great article published June 6, 2009.

Two dogs are walking more than 2,000 miles from Austin, Texas, to Boston to raise awareness, and maybe some money, for canine cancer research.

Murphy, 8, and Hudson, 2, are expected to arrive in Downtown Pittsburgh June 30. They hope to make a grand entrance by walking across the West End Bridge to PNC Park, where they will attend a Pirates game. It's one of those really cool "Pup-Night" events in which dogs get to go to a baseball game with their people.

It would be hard to miss these two, for they are very large, very white Great Pyrenees.

Murphy and Hudson are traveling with their owner, Luke Robinson, 38. He conceived the Texas-to-Massachusetts trek after the death of a beloved dog "changed my life," he says.

"Luke and the boys," as their fans and followers call them, have been on the road for about 1,000 miles and 12 months. People follow their progress at www.2dogs2000miles.org and on Twitter. Mr. Robinson carries their sleeping tent and other supplies in a giant backpack. The dogs wear much smaller packs.

They walk 8-10 miles a day, when they're moving. The trio makes frequent rest stops, such as in Pittsburgh, where they plan to stay for two weeks. They've done volunteer work at animal shelters along the way, met with veterinary cancer specialists, and lined up "meet and greet" events to raise awareness about cancer research.

Their Pittsburgh schedule includes a meet and greet in Market Square 11:30 a.m. July 1 and an appearance with the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society 5-9 p.m. July 2 at center court in the Mall at Robinson.

Mr. Robinson (no relation to the west suburban mall) also plans to walk homeless dogs housed at the North Side shelter, as if he hasn't done enough walking in the past year.

Malcolm, his first Great Pyrenees, was a healthy, active 6-year-old when he was diagnosed in 2004 with osteosarcoma. Mr. Robinson was devastated. He was also angry and puzzled because "no one could tell me why."

"Why are so many dogs dying from cancer? Why are so many dogs dying at younger ages? What are we doing wrong?" he asked in a cell phone interview from the road. "Is it diet? The environment? Pesticides?"

Osteosarcoma is bone cancer, and some of the large breeds of dogs seem to be particularly susceptible. Malcolm's cancer was in a leg bone. Amputation and chemotherapy prolonged his life for two years, but the cancer ultimately spread to his lungs, and he died in 2006.

"I sold my truck and put my stuff in storage and got in shape for this trip," Mr. Robinson said.

Born in Galveston, Texas, Mr. Robinson grew up in Austin. He operated a consulting practice for biotech companies first in San Antonio and then in Boston, where he moved in 2003. He put the business and the rest of his life on hold to walk with Murphy and Hudson.

"I'm just an average guy" not an athlete, he noted. "I had to get in shape for this trip. I'm 6-foot 2 and I was up to 250 pounds. When we started the trip, I was 195 pounds. I consume about 4,000 to 6,000 calories a day, and my weight has fluctuated between 184 and 215 pounds on this trip."

On the trio's Web site, visitors can follow their progress on a map, their blog or on Twitter, where "we have 1,800 followers," Mr. Robinson said. The Web site also includes a shop where you can buy a variety of merchandise, including canine cancer survivor T-shirts.

"This is not so much about raising money as it is about raising awareness," Mr. Robinson said. "We do accept donations to help defray the cost of travel," but he indicates they don't need much.

"When we get back to Boston, we will concentrate more on fundraising."

Kind-hearted strangers put Luke and the boys up in their homes. Other times they sleep in a tent. "I'd say it's about 50-50, sleeping in the tent vs. staying in homes."

The boys are having a great time.

"I think this may be the ideal life for dogs," Mr. Robinson said with a chuckle. "The biggest challenge so far has been ticks in Ohio. I counted 120 ticks that I picked off the boys. An upcoming challenge will be crossing the Appalachian Mountains."

High up on Mr. Robinson's wish list would be the chance to meet someone from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I have a great deal of respect for your quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. I took a day off to watch the Super Bowl, and I thought, 'Wow! What a team!' I'd love to give the Steelers some of our 'Puppy Up' bracelets" for cancer awareness.

Tickets are $20 for you and your dog to attend Pirates Pup-Night. Part of the ticket price will benefit local shelters. The June 30 and Aug. 25 Pup Night games benefit Animal Friends in Ohio Township. The July 21 and Sept. 22 games benefit the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. You must present proof that your dog is up to date on inoculations. To order tickets, call Kevin Roach at the Pirates, 412-325-4797.

To assist Luke and the boys during their Pittsburgh stay, e-mail ginger@2dogs2000miles.org. That's Ginger Morgan of Memphis, Tenn., a friend of Mr. Robinson's, who helps with their schedule and logistics. Watch the Post-Gazette for updates on their itinerary.

Pet Tales appears weekly in the Saturday Home & Garden section. Linda Wilson Fuoco can be reached at lfuoco@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3064.

On The Road in Franklin, TN

The Williamson Herald newspaper just published a great article and photo about The Boys as they passed through Franklin, Tennessee. Written by Mindy Tate, Williamson Herald Editor, the article, entitled "A Man and his Dogs," reprinted below, tells a bit about the Boys and their journey so far.

By Mindy Tate, Williamson Herald Editor
mtate@williamsonherald.com

It might have been Luke Robinson’s idea to walk 2,400 miles across the United States with his two Great Pyrenees dogs to call attention to canine cancer, but in fact it is Murphy and Hudson who are walking Robinson, not the other way around.

Robinson is making his way across Williamson County this week and will visit Happy ReTales in Brentwood’s Creekside Crossing off Old Hickory Boulevard Saturday, Nov. 22, from 2-5 p.m.

He’s en route to Boston with his two “boys,” whose combined weight is close to 180 pounds. They left Austin, Texas, in March with a mission — to raise awareness of canine cancer and raise funds for the first-ever nationwide epidemiological canine cancer study.

For Robinson, it is personal. He lost “his boy” Malcolm, another Great Pyrenees, to osteosarcoma in 2006. Robinson was working a 90-plus-hour work week when Malcolm was diagnosed as the founder and head of a high tech and life science business consulting firm, but when the dog became sick, his perspective and focus changed.

“I rarely left his side after that,” Robinson said in a break from the road. “It was truly a life defining experience and one that’s made me re-evaluate my place in the world and what my contribution can be.”

Murphy, who is about 7 years old, and Hudson, just a pup at 2 years old and 55 pounds or so, are the real celebrities of the walk, Robinson said.

“I am just the guy carrying the luggage,” he said. Each of them is armed with a backpack, although the ones carried by the animals contain mainly their snacks and supplies while Robinson is carrying a tent and things to sustain the trio along the road.

They set out from Austin in March headed for Boston, which is Robinson’s home. They expected to be further along the route than they are, but as fate would have it, Murphy had his own brush with canine cancer and there was some recovery time spent just after the walk began.

Robinson remembers mosquitoes “as big as sparrows” while walking through the Arkansas Delta in July. They hit Memphis in late August and have stopped along the way to volunteer at different shelters or humane associations to volunteer. Each time they do, Wagatha’s Extraordinary Biscuits for Dogs donates a 10-pound bag of treats to those shelters.

Those days volunteering has also given Robinson the chance to interact with animal lovers, experts, caregivers and those doing research into canine cancer and perhaps only deepened his resolve to get a national dialogue started.

“Definitely it has made the experience richer and fuller after hearing all of the stories,” he said. “It has helped to tighten the focus of the mission. People want to know what is causing canine cancer and we have found that canine cancer is a crisis. Not only is cancer significant in dogs, but it is also hitting them at a younger age. It is so prevalent that some dogs are having their life spans downgraded.”

Malcolm was only 6 when he was diagnosed, Robinson said, and 8 when he was given what Robinson describes as rest. He is making the trip with the trio though, as Robinson wears one of his claws and some of his ashes in memorial around his neck, and carries a St. Francis medal in his pocket given to him by his mother, herself a breast cancer survivor.

While walking, people often stop and talk to Robinson about what he is doing or offer to let him stay in their homes. But be forewarned, the three come as a package. If they dogs aren’t welcome, then Robinson will choose to camp out with them.

“When we are walking, we are working,” Robinson said. “When I get on the road with them and they get a rhythm, we work well together…the first 15 minutes, they are just pulling me.”

They average eight to 10 miles per day and at that pace won’t make it to Boston on their original timetable. Instead they will brave the winter months and hope to arrive to a celebratory event sometime in the spring.

Robinson’s Web site, www.2dogs2000miles.org, has a lot of information regarding the walk and “puppy up” products you can buy to support their walk and the mission of canine cancer research, but there are things you can do if you see the trio on the road.

“If they lost a companion pet, we have a memorial shirt,” Robinson said, showing a shirt with the names of animal’s lost to canine cancer. “Whenever we have to dig deep, all I have to do is look at my shirt to know there are angels walking with us.

“Another thing people can do is stop and give them hugs,” Robinson said of the dogs. Hudson greets all visitors by standing on his hind legs before throwing his paws around your neck.

“We are fine with pitching a tent on the side of the road, but we are also looking for safer places to stay,” Robinson said of church yards or halls, private homes and other facilities that allow the dogs to stay with him.

“Last and most important is to help get the message out there of canine cancer,” Robinson said of the things that people can do.

Thanks to Mindy Tate of the Williamson Herald for covering the story.

Buddy Braveheart – Part II – Final Destination

“And all for love, and nothing for reward.” -- The Faerie Queene – Edmund Spencer

Today’s entry is the kind of success story we all like to read. While Buddy is, thankfully, not a dog effected by cancer, he nevertheless has his own special problem. But thanks to the hard work of many people, Buddy has found a place to call home – forever.

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of talking with Margot McClelland, the young woman who adopted Buddy. Margot is a junior at Texas A&M University with a major in Agricultural and Life Sciences and a minor in Wildlife and Fishery Sciences, and was kind enough to take time out of her busy exam schedule to speak with me.

Margot has had Buddy a little over 2 months and, while she’s in College Station, he came to her through Great Pyrenees Rescue based in Houston. (http://www.gprescuesociety.org) She thinks Buddy is about two years old, so they have many good years ahead of them.

In addition to Buddy, she also has a Maltese named Aspen who she’s had for 3 years. She told me Aspen is a laid back little guy, but she felt Aspen had been lonely since her sister and her two dogs (a Lab and a Yorkie) had moved out. But now he has Buddy for company, and, despite their considerable size differences, they get along well.

I asked her what it is like to own a blind dog. What advice would she give somebody who is thinking of adopting a special needs dog?

For me it’s great. But then, I’m a huge animal lover. It’s fun! It’s really interesting … he always does something every day that keeps me laughing and smiling. But to own a blind dog, patience has to be number one. And at the same time [a person] has to be able to take on a big responsibility. You have to be mature. You have to be understanding of [the dog’s] needs and you have to be able to love them unconditionally because that’s really all they want; all they look for.

It’s so interesting – it’s as if Buddy knows that I saved him. He’s so appreciative. There is no greater reward than having a feeling like that.

Did it take very long for him to acclimate to his new surroundings?

No, actually, it’s really remarkable. He came over to my house the first day and within the next couple of hours he pretty much knew the area; he knew where the steps were, where to go outside. Within the first week he knew the house perfectly. He gets around fine. A lot of people don’t even realize he’s blind. Sometimes he walks into a chair or something and they’ll go, ‘Oh, poor thing.’ And I’ll say ‘Oh no, he’s blind.’ ‘But he gets around perfectly.’ ‘I know!’ It’s really remarkable how easily he learned and how it’s just so easy for him to get around.

Since he’s been living with me, it’s really interesting. We go on walks. And little things that I wouldn’t even think about listening to or that I wouldn’t even hear, he hears them. So now that I’ve been around him a lot my hearing has become a lot more acute. He’s made my other senses more acute.

What about his 2 AM playtime?

He does wake up around 2 to 3 in the morning sometimes but he really doesn’t bark. He used to kind of bark and I would get up. But I found that if I’d give him a bone or just put my hand on his back while I’m sleeping or even give him a toy, it just takes him about 20 minutes and he’ll just fall right back to sleep. Also, giving him exercise, taking him for walks through the neighborhood, taking him to the dog park – that also helps calm him down.

I asked her to share a few stories about Buddy.

There are a few funny things. When I say ‘treat’ he goes crazy; he jumps around and jumps around … I give him a treat – sometimes I give him two – he always expects more – I have a soft spot for him so always give him a few more than I should. But his sense of smell is so great. I think he can still smell the scent of the treat in the air. I’ll sit down and he’s still there and he’s still moving his head back and forth – so then he starts biting the air because he thinks my hand is there with the treat. And I tell him ‘Oh Buddy, no, no, there’s no more.’

When I come home he gets so excited. His tail’s wagging everywhere, he’s jumping everywhere. He doesn’t know where he's jumping. And Aspen, he’s small. Buddy’s about 75 pounds and Aspen is about 6 pounds. Buddy gets so excited he just jumps all over Aspen. Aspen gets annoyed, but Buddy couldn’t care less. He's just happy I'm home.

Buddy was used to sleeping on the floor. But my dogs sleep with me on the bed. So I lowered my bed for him. He comes off and on the bed as he pleases. One day I came home after a really long day – exams and school and such. I turned on the TV. Aspen was lying next to me. So Buddy decided to come up on the bed and he lay next to me too. He put his whole head on my chest, next to my face, and he fell asleep there for about an hour and a half. And I was so happy in that moment – I just did not want to move. My arm was falling asleep, but I didn’t care because he was so happy right there.

Dogs are such a huge blessing. They make you complete and they make your life whole. They really do. I cannot see myself without a dog – ever in my life.

Buddy, it looks like you're in for a wonderful life!

Puppy Up!

Erich & His 4 Pack

Buddy Braveheart (Part I)

Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog. Charles F. Doran

Luke has asked me to tell you the story of Buddy, known affectionately to his friends as Buddy Braveheart. Here is Part One of his two part story.

Buddy, a Great Pyrenees, was born blind. As most of us know, being born blind isn’t something one grows out of. Yet, his first owners didn’t understand this. Somehow they imagined he’d grow out of his blindness, like he’d grow out of his puppy fur, his puppy teeth, his puppy breath. But Buddy was blind and that was it. You don’t lose blindness like you lose your car keys. So, when it finally dawned on his first owners that Buddy would be blind for life, that he would never see, that his needs were special, he was dumped at an animal shelter in Texarkana. This proves that, while dogs are wise, some people are not. So ended the first chapter in Buddy’s life.

Buddy was again placed for adoption. His handsome face and description were published on the web and soon an older couple came to adopt him. Despite his blindness, they had fallen in love with him and had driven all the way from Arkansas to Texarkana, to make him their own. Buddy was happily whisked away to the land of Razorbacks, Hot Springs, and Bill Clinton. Arkansas, once known as The Bear State (its first official nickname), seemed suited to a big bear of a Pyrenees, and so it looked like Buddy had found his home.

But Buddy had an odd habit. Perhaps it was because he is blind, but Buddy didn’t seem to have an appropriate sense of time. After all, to a blind dog, dark-thirty in the morning is just the same as high noon. And it turned out that 2 AM was Buddy’s favorite time to crank up into play mode. Now, for a night person this arrangement would be ideal. After all, if you’re an insomniac and it’s a choice between an endless string of inane Infomercials or a huge, playful ball of fur on legs, what would you pick? Me too! But the people who adopted him had real jobs. That meant they had to get real sleep, and that meant Buddy would have to curtail his odd schedule. Yet, despite all they did to dissuade him of his strange proclivities, Buddy continued to insist on waking them for his 2 AM playtime. So sadly, they brought him back to Texarkana, hoping he would find someone who liked playing at all hours of the night.

Along comes Diana. Despite having nine dogs of her own, she pulled him from the shelter, just in time, and gave him a home on her 12 acres. Buddy was happy, a good boy, staying close to home. He would stay within the 12 acres as long as Diana was near-by. But the 12 acres weren't totally fenced and Buddy, the loving boy he is, would try to follow Diana when she would leave for work. This too was an unworkable situation, as Diana feared something would befall Buddy should he wander off. So she was forced to find him alternative digs.

Enter Frances DeGelia. Frances, herself proudly owned by three Great Pyrenees (Humphrey, Abbey, and Big Boy), fosters dogs. Through a series of events over the next two weeks, Frances and Diana worked to get Buddy to Frances. Finally plans were set and Diana and Frances connected. Frances drove from Bryan, Texas and Diana drove from Texarkana, meeting at Centerville for the great dog delivery.

Here’s where the six degrees of separation all those who foster dogs know well – Frances knows Elin Phillips (you remember Elin from the last blog). Because Elin too fosters dogs, Buddy found himself living with Elin for about two days. Then Elin got a call from a young lady who had seen Buddy’s mug shot on a special needs web site. Most humans, shuffled from home to home, would be deeply resentful, but not Buddy. He was about to have a real home, at last.

Margot McClelland (you’ll meet her in the next blog), is a Texas A&M student. And she wanted Buddy. But Buddy needed a forever home, so Frances kept track of him, doing home visits. Yet it wasn’t even two weeks before Margot knew it was love. Buddy Braveheart had won her heart. And so he has moved in with Margot. I wonder if he still has 2 AM playtime? After all, students keep odd hours too.

I’ll be talking with Margot in the next couple of days and let you know how Buddy is doing. But it says a lot about the character of these people, Diana, Frances, Elin and now Margot, that they would go to such lengths to find Buddy the right home. And it says a lot about Buddy, that his spirit never faltered. Frances told me Buddy inspired her, thus the name Braveheart. His tail wags all the time, and while he occasionally bumps into things, he just keeps going. His special talent is his ability to listen. He tilts his head (certain to charm anyone) to zone in on where he’s heading.

Buddy’s blindness is congenital. Despite the advances in veterinary medicine, he will never see. His left socket has no eyeball at all – the right eye is the size of a pea. Yet, his life is now good. Despite (or perhaps because of) his blindness, Buddy had the patience and good sense to wait for just the right person to come along.

For a wealth of information on blind and special needs dogs, please visit:
http://www.blinddogs.com/
http://www.petswithdisabilities.org

I'd like to extend special thanks to Frances DeGelia for a great interview for this blog. A bit about Frances and her dogs before this entry ends. Frances (pictured above with Buddy, Margot, and Margot’s other – little – dog) told me of her first Great Pyrenees, Clancy. Clancy died in 2001, and I could tell by the tone in Frances' voice that he would always hold a very special place in her life. But just 10 days before he passed, another Great Pyrenees found her way to Frances. Abbey is Frances’ “Angel Dog,” finding her way to Frances just when she needed her most. Abbey literally walked up to the school and into the classroom where Frances was teaching, and invited herself into her life. Abbey then joined Humphrey, Frances’ first Great Pyrenees rescue. And now they are all joined by Big Boy, another Great Pyrenees, whose case is currently in litigation. Seems Big Boy was removed from a home over cruelty charges and Frances is trying to win permanent custody of him.

Frances has since retired from teaching students, but now reaches people in need with the aid of her dogs. Humphrey is a therapy dog who, as many therapy dogs do, works with tough cases. Frances shared one case in particular. A young woman, perhaps in her mid-thirties, had had a severe stroke, leaving her unresponsive. Nothing the hospital staff could do would elicit even the remotest response from her. A physical therapist approached Humphrey and Frances, asking if they would just visit the girl to see if Humphrey could get her to respond. Well, when they visited it was dinner time and some delicious bar-b-q escaped the tray and rolled under the hospital bed. Naturally, Humphrey took this as a cue to act, and went after the bar-b-q. (While dogs are wise about many things, they are not wise about hospital food, which apparently, despite its many objectionable traits, has a certain canine appeal.) He dove under the bed after the goodies, and the young girl, who had been totally unresponsive towards humans, thought Humphrey’s desire for hospital bar-b-q so funny, she laughed! This young girl, shut away by such a lonely affliction, was still in there after all. It simply took the uncomplicated act of a beautiful dog to bring her laugh to the surface.

One final note. How did Frances come to find out about Luke and The Boys’ journey? Serendipity (which has served The Boys well on their travels). A friend of Frances’ saw Luke and The Boys at a gas station in Hearne, Texas. She approached him for a chat. Next thing, she’s excitedly on the phone to Francis, telling her all about him, the dogs, their mission, their travels, their goal. Frances jumps in and gets involved. She’s made many connections down the road for Luke and The Boys. And just three weeks ago she’d never heard of them.

Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them.

Puppy Up!

Erich & His 4 Pack