Brinks Hofer Goes for the Gold

Gold sponsorship, that is. We're excited to announce that Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione has become a Best In Show Gold Sponsor! Yeah!

Many thanks to Cindy Homan and Charlie McMahon for their generosity. You ROCK!

It's not too late to join Cindy and Charlie. You, too, can become a sponsor!

Animal Planet Features Sit Stay Read!

Don't miss seeing SSR on Animal Planet!

The folks from the TV show, Faithful Friends, visited a Sit Stay Read program last August and captured all the excitement of our kids and dogs reading together. Here are some of the smiling faces you'll see!

Set your recorder for this Saturday, Jan 24th, from 8-8:30am cst. We'll be in the "Road Trip" segment of the show.

Pet Dogs Rival Humans for Emotional Satisfaction

Wrigley and all his Sit Stay Read pals don't know they cause the "cuddle chemical" in people. But we see the joy they bring. It's right there on the faces of the children we serve.

Want scientific proof? At last, here it is! Read the New Scientist article.

Info on Cancer Vaccine for Dogs

Laverne, one of our very first Sit Stay Read dogs and a favorite with all the kids, was recently diagnosed with melanoma. We're glad to report that the prognosis is good but her mom, Jenifer, is looking for info on the new cancer vaccine. If you, or someone you know, has firsthand experience, please email Jenifer at jflynn@nthdegreeservices.com

Here's Jenifer's overview of the situation:

On Dec 19 Laverne had a tumor behind her ear removed and the tumor was diagnosed as being a malignant melanoma. It was a hard little (tiny cyst like thing) under her skin I found while looking for wood ticks last June. I discussed with the vet at that time and we decided it was likely a cyst and not urgent and we would take it out next time she had her teeth cleaned (which I did on December 19). The biopsy came back as malignant melanoma. The tumor was well encapsulated and not very active. There is a 1 in 4 chance or re-growth or metastasis to another area of her body. We do not know at this point if it has metastasized. To find this out, this Wednesday she will have some xrays done of her chest/lungs and a full blood work up. From this, I understand we will find out if the cancer is already spreading.

On the 14^th, we have an appointment with a canine oncologist, Dr. Rhonda Feinmehl. At that point I will know where we stand and what needs to be done next. More than likely, we will start a protocol of injections of a canine melanoma vaccine. It is a clinical trial drug. Here is more information on it .

Regardless of whether the cancer has started to spread it’s likely we will go through with the vaccine protocol to give her the best chance for longtime health/survival. However, my concern at this point is possible side effects. For example, will she be able to still be out in the sun… she does love her belly time in the sun. Any possible thyroid side effects, etc. On the surface this information says there are no side effects, but I find this hard to believe. So, I am going to proceed cautiously and make any decision based on what will give her the best quality of life.

NBC News Features SSR in 2008 Wrap-Up!

There were lots of cheers and tears of joy when we learned that the NBC Nightly News chose to feature Sit Stay Read dogs in their wrap-up of good news for 2008. Wow! And they included all three dogs from the program they filmed---Sugar, Lulu, and Petey. Click on the "Media" label below to view the original story.

Many thanks to all our fabulous dogs and volunteers for bringing the joy of reading to kids in need. Since its start in 2003, Sit Stay Read has helped more than 2,000 children learn to read.

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