Click here for a printable PDF Pledge Form

Thank you for your interest in our 2013 Smiling Blue Skies Walk for Canine Cancer in Calgary.   

In 2012, we raised an astounding $35,000, for the study of new cancer diagnostics and treatments for all companion animals through Pet Trust at the Ontario Veterinary College.  Not only will our pets benefit from this contribution, but also the knowledge gained will be shared with human research, for the good of us all.

Let's reach beyond the bluest skies, to the brightest stars, on behalf of the OVC Pet Trust - Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund.  The OVC Pet Trust is a fund devoted to providing financial assistance for the advancement of health, health care, and quality of life, for companion animals.  More than 120 studies into naturally occurring diseases affecting companion animals have been carried out with Pet Trust funds. 

To date, Pet Trust funds have been used for many special projects, including, investigations into common health problems, the development of new diagnostics and therapeutic techniques, studies involving the human-animal bond and animal behaviour, and the upgrading of the Small Animal Clinic's Intensive Care Unit. Receipts for tax credit purposes, are issued for all contributions to OVC's programs, under the University of Guelph's charitable status number.

Cancer is the most frequent cause of death in dogs. This is a truly frightening thought.  It is a burden that we all share. In loving our dogs, whether pure breeds or mixed breeds, we want the very best for them, in health, and in sickness. Every dollar donated to The Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund supports OVC's quest to find more and better ways to deal with and understand this terrible disease.

This year, funds raised at our walk will be directed to the development of an Immune Response Monitoring Facility to support clinical testing of novel cancer biotherapies in companion animals.  The long-term objective is to build a cutting-edge cancer research program focused on translating cutting-edge biotherapies into companion animal cancer models in the context of veterinary clinical trials.  In turn, this will support the transfer of only the most effective and refined treatments into human clinical trials, through a growing network of collaborations.  Our 2013 Smiling Blue Skies walk will be supporting these clinical cancer trials, by funding a flow cytometry-based immunological testing facility and facilitating the training of a future scientist, under the direction of Dr. Byram W. Bridle.

Thanks to you, we are making a difference. It has been said, that if we could hang all of our sorrows on pegs, and were allowed to choose those we liked best, every one of us would take back their own, for all the rest would seem even more difficult to bear. Please help us to help our animal companions, and change the punch line of the cruel joke we call Cancer.

The Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund is in loving memory of our beautiful Blues Man, who taught us the true meaning of being a “show” dog.  He “showed” us how to live, love, laugh, and learn.

Here is a link to a slideshow from our 2012 walk.