Jerry G. Dawg here, hanging out on the farm in Florida. I’m so excited to head into the 14th month after my amputation and cancer diagnosis, and I just want to wish you all a very hoppy, healthy new year.

May we all live long and prosper. Keep on hopping on, tripawd friends!

When my people took me to Moosehead Lake up in Maine a few months ago, we met a very nice couple who also travel in an RV with their dog. OK, two dogs and a cat. But hey, the more the merrier!

Stu and Carol seemed like great folks. They loved me right away and were thrilled about how I got around on three legs. But I only got to meet their Pit Holly and Shepherd Junot through the screen in there RV, since they seemed just a bit protective.

The sad coincidence now is, Holly has been diagnosed with sarcoma. She will be heading to Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey after the New Year for her amputation surgery. It appears that I was an inspiration for the righteous yet extremely difficult decision Stu and Carol have made for Holly. And I commend them. Here’s what they had to say…

“We just pray that we got the cancer in time, that it hasn’t spread beyond her leg and that her wiggle and big smile will continue to brighten our lives a little bit longer.”

Amen. If you’re the praying type, please send Holly your best. If not, give it a try anyway. You have our support Holly. We look forward to hearing all about your speedy recovery!

I love Christmas. Well OK, I really don’t care what day it is. If I get to open a present, it’s a great day. I just love tearing into packages! Even if it is something my people have given to me before and just re-wrapped again. I don’t care, it’s the unwrapping I really like.

This year was extra special for me. It was my 1oth Christmas. My 9th with Jim and René, and my second as a Tripawd. But as you can see, I still enjoy opening my own presents. Especially if it’s my favorite talking Barney!

I wanted to let you know about a special project that my Mom and Dad are doing right now. They are creating a special coffee-table tribute book that’s all about Tripawds, both past and present. We want to show the world that it’s better to hop on three legs than limp on four.

We want you to be in the book too! Just send us photos and a short bio of your Tripawd pal. We would love to hear back from any of you who are interested in helping us shine a light on the amazing qualities of thee-legged dogs.

Just send us up to three high-resolution photos of your beloved Tripawd, and a brief story about your amazing family member. For those Tripawds no longer with us, we will dedicate a special section to these angel dogs. There is no cost for submitting.

As a thank you for allowing us to feature your special canine in the book, we will donate a portion of sales to the Morris Animal Foundation’s Canine Cancer Campaign, and offer you a generous discount on the book.

Please email your photos to us. New Extended Deadline! 1/4/08 (exceptions can be made)

PS: Please note that all submissions become the property of Agreda Communications and copy may be edited for length and clarity.

It’s hard to believe that one year ago, everyone thought that I wouldn’t live to see another Christmas. But here I am in 2007, celebrating Santa’s arrival with my Mom and Dad! You silly vets, I fooled you good, didn’t I?

Here’s to another year, and here’s to all of my Osteosarcoma Miracle Dog friends, living large and living strong! May we all stay healthy and happy for years to come.

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Each week, nervous Dog Moms and Dog Dads contact me, wondering how we dogs do after amputation. They want to know what the post-op procedures are like, and how dogs handle chemotherapy. And while all dogs respond a little differently to all of this, most of us bounce back right away!

Kiva is one of my new tripawd friends, and she is recovering nicely after losing her front right leg. What a great Christmas present; the gift of a pain-free life, and another chance at being a healthy, happy dog!

Her Mom Jolene has graciously allowed us to share her account of the first few days after Kiva’s surgery. We hope this gives you a small picture of what it’s like to bring a dog home after surgery, and what to expect if you’re participating in chemotherapy.

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Oh I am such a good dog. My Mom and Dad and I are living on a farm right now, and there are so many things for me to do here, I don’t know where to begin.

Wait, I know. I could begin by chasing chickens around the yard and eating them up for dinner. After all, my Mom feeds me chicken and eggs all the time. Bet a real live chicken would taste sooooo good! I see them, all plump and tender, flocking about. I want one so bad, but every time I get too close, Mom freaks out and I have to sit back down like a good dog.

I must be mellowing with age. In my younger days, I never would have stood for this!

My pal Erin wrote to me recently because she wants to know;

I hear statistics constantly, but they don’t mean much. Is there a way to find out the average length of time dogs have survived post-amputation?

My Mom doesn’t have the scientific answer, and plans on looking into it. But I’ll bet that one of you knows! If you can give Erin some good resources to check out, please let her know by commenting below.

Love,

Jerry

When I was little, my Mom and Dad had something called a microchip put in the scruff of my neck. They did it because the pound people said that if I got lost, I’d have this little ID code that would help my parents find me faster. But just this week, my Mom heard the news about how these chips are being linked to cancers in lab rats and dogs!

If you haven’t heard this news yet, all you have to do is Google “VeriChip Dogs Cancer” and you’ll be horrified to see what’s out there in the news about this. Here are some links to learn more:

Report of Cancer Hurts Maker of Chip Implants - New York Times
In its news release disputing suggestions that the implant could be linked to VeriChip said yesterday, “We will retain independent scientists and…

Microchip Implants Cause Tumors - AntiChips.com
Damning research findings could spell the end of VeriChip…weekend revealing that microchip implants have induced cancer in laboratory animals and…

Chip Implants Linked to Animal Tumors - Washington Post
In one dog, the researchers said cancer appeared linked to the presence of the ….He stepped down as a VeriChip Corp. director in March to seek the GOP…

As humans go, Luke Robinson is OK in my book. His willingness to tag along with Hudson and Murphy on their walk from Austin to Boston proves his commitment to raise awareness – and money – for cancer prevention. And that sounds good to me!

Now more people in the Austin, Texas area should be aware of their journey since News 8 Austin featured 2 Dogs, 2000 Miles on their evening broadcast. You too can support the cause by shopping for gifts and apparel in the Puppy Up! store or follow the trip at Luke’s blog.