Much like humans, companion animals are also at risk of developing various types of canine cancer – including breast cancer and lymphoma.
Hundreds of pet parents across the country have unfortunately experienced losing a beloved companion pet to cancer. One of these people is Luke Robinson, the founder of the Puppy Up Foundation.
He lost his Great Pyrenees, Malcolm, to cancer years back. To remember him, Luke and his two dogs embarked on a long cross-country walk.
From Austin, Texas to Boston, Massachusetts – they walked thousands of miles for two years, crossing 16 states and building a nationwide grassroots network of mourning pet parents who lost a companion animal to cancer. That journey sparked the start of the Puppy Up Foundation.
The Colors Of Puppy Up Foundation
According to Luke,
“Cancer is a cross-species problem. It’s not just dogs and cats.”
The Puppy Up Foundation’s legacy was born from the story of a man who lost his dog to cancer. Luke aims to root the foundation around cancer research and education. He aspires to educate and empower.
The foundation has three main missions; raise awareness, empower through Puppy Up walks, and invest in cancer research.
Puppy Up is committed to discovering the link between human and canine cancers. However, comparative oncology is still a relatively new field. The foundation made it one of its mission to educate pet parents about canine cancer through strategic partnerships, seminars, social media platforms, events, and other forms of media.
Aside from educating, the foundation also focuses on empowering and mobilizing through iconic walks.
Puppy Up is working on building possibly the most prominent people and pet cancer community worldwide. One of its ways to get the message visibly across is by doing these long-range walks and raising awareness about cancer.
Currently, the foundation has walked across over 30 states!
The foundation’s last mission involves investing in clinical research. As Luke said,
“We really focus on funding sort of clinical trials or cancer research and tries to understand why our companion animals are getting the same type of cancer that we are.”
Puppy Up aims to broaden the understanding of the link between human and canine cancer and develop new approaches to research and treatment.
Walking And Donating To The Cause
“One of the things we have not yet accomplished at the Puppy Up Foundation is trying to divorce the notion to the public that we have different types of cancers in this world.”
Like humans, companion animals can also suffer from cancer. Millions of dogs each year die from cancer. Failure to receive adequate treatment or care is one of the reasons for the high number of deaths and new cases.
Focusing on more comparative oncology studies can mean that more and more companion animals will have access to the latest treatment or drug. One of the foundation’s primary goals is clinical research and studies.
If you’re interested in Puppy Up Foundation’s missions and goals, there are multiple ways to get involved!
You can apply as a volunteer or donate to their cause. Additionally, you can participate in their events and upcoming walks!
Just recently, on September 4th, they started their Walk 3, which will stretch for about ten weeks. The goal was to raise the Hudson’s Hope Fund that will be allotted to help pet parents pay for the veterinary expenses of their companion animals with cancer. You may check out more details about the event at their official website.
There are more upcoming walks to look out for, so tune in to Puppy Up Foundation’s website!
Luke also has a podcast called Fuzzybutts and Friends! Give it a listen if you want to hear about his crazy adventures with his Fuzzybutts (Grayson and Indiana)!
