Usually firefighters save dogs. Now the dogs are returning the favor.
Because of their frequent exposure to chemicals and toxic fumes, firefighters are at risk for certain types of cancer, including respiratory and urinary cancers. A Canadian organization called Cancer Dogs is hoping to reduce that risk through screenings with dogs trained to detect cancer by sniffing the breath and alerting when they smell signs of disease. More than 20,000 firefighters have been tested since the program began in 2011. People who have been diagnosed with cancer but have not yet begun treatment can donate breath samples to help train the dogs. For more information, visit cancerdogs.ca.
Read more, including great gift ideas, in this week’s Pet Connection.
