My dog was on the front page of our local newspaper!

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 6sd replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 16 years ago by MimzMum.

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- 04/17/2010 at 10:27 AM
  KatnipCrzy
  Participant
  2981 posts
  We took our dogs to Grand Haven a couple of weeks ago for a DNA drive for the Van Andel Institute study of dog cancer. The photographer was in love with Skye and took many pics. I kept looking in the paper and did not see an article.
  
  But yesterdays Grand Rapids Press- Friday April 16th- the story was front page- with a great picture of Skye getting her cheek swabbed!
  
  http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rap…und_i.html
  
  Skye is practically famous. LOL. I have organized another drive in our area (we drove over 30 minutes to get to the other event) to collect even more DNA samples from eligible purebred dogs. There were 75 dogs that were swabbed at the other event- I am hoping to beat that number at the local drive that is set for a few weeks in my town- the vet clinic that I work for also owns a Dog Day Care facility which is closed on Sat- so that is the location we are using.
  
  I lost my 2 previous dogs to cancer (plus 2 cats and 1 rabbit)- so anything as simple as a DNA swab I am all for it- and even drove out of my way to make sure my dogs did participate!
  
  Julie
- 04/17/2010 at 10:41 AM
  mocha200
  Participant
  4486 posts
  thats cool! sorry about your pets
- 04/17/2010 at 10:47 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  What a beautiful dog – is that you in the photo as well?
  
  What a great study too – wish they’d do more studies on rabbits :~)
- 04/17/2010 at 10:49 AM
  Karla
  Participant
  1624 posts
  She is beautiful But she is very small for an aussie, isn’t she? How old is she? I love them, but it is my impression that they need tons of mental stimulation, such as herding, agility et.c so although I do love their beauty, I think I better stay away
  
  The research sounds really interesting. I don’t get much of it though. I just wonder why not take a look at only berner sennen, which is a breed that has a really high death rate at the age of 5 due to cancer and that way identify the gene. But well, as I said, I don’t get much of it.
- 04/17/2010 at 1:40 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  That is a great picture, Julie! Skye holds a gaze well, I must say, irrestible with those icy eyes. I suppose photographers always like the pretty ones…
- 04/17/2010 at 2:57 PM
  KatnipCrzy
  Participant
  2981 posts
  Skye is 4 1/2 years old and weighs about 48 lbs- which is pretty average size in this area. I think in the Southwest US the Aussies tend to be a bit bigger.
  
  Her height to the shoulder comes really close for Mini Aussie Standard- but it is not technically a recognized breed anyway and most mini breeders are breeding 12-30 lb dogs- which makes them too much like a “small dog” to me/small dog mentality.
  
  The research facility is also working with vets to get tumor and blood samples from dogs WITH cancer- purebred or not. The purebred dogs for DNA swabbing are to create a database to study and compare to.
  
  Aussies are very high energy and intelligent- and we have 2 of them- so they keep each other occupied and wear each other out in the yard, etc and keep themselves mentally stimulated by “competing” with each other. Yes, there are nights when we are watching TV and we have to tell the wrestling dogs to move out of the way. They know exactly how rough and tumble they can get with each other- and they do- they tackle, bite, kick and chase each other- inside and outside the house. But there have never been any injuries other than minor “yipe, I fell off the bed and now my leg hurts”- then 5 minutes later Molson was back to playing again.
  
  I started training Skye for Frisbee before I got Molson- and she is better at it but he is catching on. But if they both go after the Frisbee- she will tackle him for it, beat him into the ground, and then still remembers to bring the Frisbee back. She remembers the original task- even though she had to stop to “school” Molson on proper Frisbee etiquette.
  
  EDIT: No that is not me in the picture I was by the photographer otherwise she would not have been facing the camera- and I prefer not to have my picture taken anyway.
- 04/17/2010 at 9:37 PM
  MimzMum
  Participant
  8029 posts
  Oh Julie, she is precious! ^_^ For some reason I thought you were the Binky member who had some kind of husky, so I was surprised to see the Aussie.
  
  My hub loves those dogs. And after the fiascoes we’ve had to put up with lately, that may be the only way we ever get another dog; by visiting a breeder of Heelers.
  
  There are actually MINI versions of the AS? Aren’t they small enough as it is? 0_o
  
  Any time I can read something about possible cures for cancer, I am all for it. As long as animals are not harmed…honestly, if I had to face it again myself and it was time to try something experimental, perhaps I should want it bad enough that I would rather be the lab animal? I have also lost animals to cancer and it is especially hard to watch them suffer from it.
  
  I empathize with your past losses. ((((hugs)))) You certainly have a beauty there now though.
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