Ontario Veterinary College professor Paul Woods is appearing on television this week to promote OVC cancer research and the release of a new video for the Pet Trust Fund.
Woods, a clinical studies professor and co-director of the University of Guelph’s Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation, was on Global TV’s The Morning Show Monday and will be a guest on CP 24’s Animal House Calls Tuesday at 7 p.m. Watch the clip from The Morning Showhere.
His appearance coincides with the official release of a music video to launch the OVC Pet Trust Fund’s awareness and fundraising campaign called “Keep Cancer on a Leash.” The video released today features dogs, including several cancer survivors, ‘singing’ in a recording studio.
Watch the video on YouTube or the Pet Trust website.
About one in four dogs and one in eight cats die of cancer. Groundbreaking research at OVC is helping pets with cancer live longer and enhancing knowledge of the disease in both animals and humans.
“What we are learning from treating cancer in dogs and cats is impacting directly on pets and providing new insights into treating human cancers,” said Woods, a veterinary cancer specialist at OVC’s Mona Campbell Centre for Animal Cancer.
“For example, dogs and humans are prone to similar types of cancer, including lymphoma, osteosarcoma, melanoma and bladder cancer. The more we can learn about canine forms of the disease, the more the potential exists for advances in treatment for cancer in humans.”
Purina Canada has sponsored the video and will match individual donations up to a total of $125,000. The video was produced by Red Urban, a Toronto-based advertising agency.
“The music video is really a tongues-and-tails-wagging way to spread the word that, thanks to donations to OVC Pet Trust, we’re making some amazing progress in treating different forms of cancer in pets,” said Woods, “and that holds tremendous promise in the fight against similar cancers in human beings.”
Established in 1986, OVC Pet Trust is Canada’s first charitable fund devoted to the health and well-being of companion animals. Pet Trust has committed to raising $15 million for the Mona Campbell Centre for Animal Cancer. Opened in 2012, the centre is Canada’s most comprehensive animal cancer treatment and research centre, offering the most advanced tools for cancer diagnosis, treatment and teaching.
For more information or to make a donation to OVC Pet Trust, visit www.pettrust.ca or call 519-824-4120, Ext. 54695. If you’ve already donated and have questions about a receipt or other billing information, call Ext. 56934.
For media questions or general information about cancer research and treatment at OVC, contact Barry Gunn, OVC communications officer, at 519-824-4120, Ext. 54414 or bagunn@uoguelph.ca.
For questions about your pet’s health, contact your veterinarian. OVC’s veterinarians and staff cannot provide medical advice over the phone.
One of the canine performers in the video ‘singing’ in the recording studio.