This Just In...
Kevin Fischer is an award-winning veteran broadcaster who has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for nearly three decades.
Kevin, who is a legislative aide to state Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, “INTERchange,” on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, in Franklin.
The Barking Lot
By Kevin Fischer
Saturday, Sep 6 2008, 12:18 PM
Even though I was very young at the time, I will never forget when Sugar was first diagnosed with cancer. I don’t remember the details except there was a tumor on her hip that quickly grew in size and needed to be removed. Surgery would not be cheap but it was our only option to keep her alive for any length of time. Our family chose to have the operation performed.
It was successful and for several years she remained cancer-free. It did come back a second time, however. This time we chose comfort measures because she was simply too old to put her through another operation. That time, the surgery alone could have taken her life.
She put up a great fight and stayed with us for quite some time. Eventually one illness on top of another took its toll and we had to make the excruciating choice to have her euthanized. She was the first of three pets (Tommy my cat and Skippy would be the second and third respectively) that I would hold in my arms those last moments of their lives.
That’s the downside of pet ownership. It’s a BIG downside. But it is also the “circle of life” that you commit to when you adopt a four-legged family member.
Ted Schneck is the founder of The Dog Cancer Ride. He has dedicated his summer to raise money for dog owners faced with helping their pets with cancer. You can read more about his story here.
His website offers more information on his ride: Click on the video link for his heartfelt story of why he decided to ride from the Oregon coast to the Atlantic coast. In his video he talks about the people who say, “You’re riding for dogs???!!!” as if it is the most ludicrous thing in the world. OK so maybe canine cancer doesn’t rate right up there with world hunger, AIDS and the babies that Angelina Jolie has yet to adopt. But for some owners, their dog is literally the last thing they have in their life, as documented in this letter to Ted:
“I am disabled and on Social Security. My dog is ALL I have in my life. I suffer from manic depression and to lose this dog who I have had for 13 years would literally kill me… I cry every night with my precious boy sleeping next to me, hoping that god will make him better. He has been through everything with me, homelessness, a divorce, just everything. He is literally my reason for breathing. I sold my transportation to pay for the last surgery he had. I have nothing left except him. Please, help me...” I think his mission is commendable and I wish him the best of luck in his quest to help owners of dogs with cancer.
---Jennifer Fischer
Thanks, Jennifer and I concur.
It's time for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week. As I've mentioned in the past on The Barkling Lot, the news isn't always positive. Machine, a bullgog, died during a delayed Delta Airlines flight, prompting an investigation.
Another dog's death in California has spurred a call to speed up the tracing of cellphones.
Here's an update on story previously reported on The Barking Lot. The mayor of Berwyn Heights is not happy with the findings of an inquiry into a raid at his home by sheriff's deputies in which the family's two dogs were shot and killed. Shame on those deputies.
How about we change the mood? Meet Antoine.
Antoine is one of the many great stories we hear about dogs assisting veterans.
Whatever happened to the 48 pit bulls trianed to kill that were taken from Michael Vick's illegal dogfighting scheme? The National Geographic Channel explored that question in a two-hour special Friday night but the program will be repeated. Details, including a preview video can be found here.
And the city of Houston is seriously considering a law to spay and neuter pets.
That's it for The Barking Lot. We close by noting we're now in the fall movie season. Two upcoming movies won't be classics, but they are based on dogs. Take a look.
