News Briefs for the Week of October 7, 2002
By Marcella Durand for Cat Facts
- Animal Cancer Registry May Help Humans, Too
In a move that may immensely benefit humans as well as companion animals, Cornell University is setting up a cancer registry that could warn of potential environmental dangers to both humans and pets.
While there have been other cancer databases for companion animals, none have been as comprehensive nor as up-to-date as the new registry. "We [haven't been] working with accurate information when it comes to trying to plan prevention and early diagnosis strategies," said Rodney Page, PhD, director of the comparative cancer program at Cornell. "The fact that we don't know what the changes have been over 30 years is a significant deficit in the field of oncology."
Researchers for the registry, which has received funding from the Animal Cancer Foundation and the State of New York, will work with researchers for a project funded by the National Institutes of Health that is studying the mysteriously high breast cancer rates in Long Island, New York. The Cornell scientists hope to find whether there is a correlation between human and animal cancer. If successful -- that is, if a correlation is found -- the project will be expanded to other states, as well as other areas of New York.
- The King Sings Don't Be Cruel to Animals
They may be nothin' but hound dogs -- or stray cats -- to some misguided souls, but to the King, it's looking like Love Me Tender at a Memphis animal shelter. Elvis Presley Enterprises recently gave their permission to the Memphis Shelby County Humane Society to use his image along with the song title "Don't Be Cruel" to help their new campaign against animal cruelty. The shelter will sell a T-shirt featuring a rare 1950s photograph of Elvis with two dogs, with the caption: "'Don't be Cruel' to Animals - Help Stop Animal Cruelty Now."
If you'd like to buy a T-shirt, or just send a donation to help with the campaign, visit the shelter's Web site at www.memphishumane.org, or write to: Memphis Shelby County Humane Society, 2238 Central Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, 38104.
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