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April 24, 2018 “People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.”

 “A reason” is how Dallas resident Barby Crabtree describes the importance in her life of her last golden retriever, Holly. She came into Barby’s life when Barby most needed a friend. And, after Holly lost her battle with cancer, inspired Barby to help find a cure. It’s part of what brought her to Morris Animal Foundation.

Barby had owned other dog breeds. But in late 1999, after watching how much her partner loved his Labrador retrievers, Barby decided she wanted a golden retriever.

“I’m sure it was because golden retrievers are the poster child for all things cute, kind and beautiful,” said Barby.

She found those attributes and more in Holly, so named because the pup was born on Christmas Eve. Barby welcomed her furry bundle of joy about 7 months after accepting a work promotion that moved her more than 2 ½ hours away from home, requiring her to live in a different community during the workweek.

 She learned it was “really lonely at the top” and found herself surrounded by people she didn’t know. Thankfully, Holly was there, waiting at home every night, to stave off those feelings of isolation with happy growls. The two began a ritual where Barby would bounce tennis balls off a wall for Holly to catch and fetch. The exercise eventually wore the hyperactive Holly out and slowly cemented a much-needed connection.

“Holly was my roommate. My confidant. My constant companion. I think the fact that we spent so much time, just the two of us, we just really bonded,” said Barby. “I felt like she really knew me. She could read me and knew how much attention I needed. I think we needed each other.”

The two were inseparable for 12 years and, except for a frightening bout of meningitis, Barby says Holly was always active and vivacious. That’s why it was so shocking when Holly was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is:

  • An aggressive tumor that rapidly spreads throughout the body (in most cases, at the time of diagnosis, the cancer has already spread beyond the primary tumor)
  • The most common primary bone tumor affecting dogs
  • Often found in limbs but can arise from any bone
  • Usually treated with surgery followed by chemotherapy (despite intervention, most dogs survive less than one year after diagnosis)
  • The primary tumor is often successfully treated; most dogs die from metastatic disease
  • More common in large and giant breeds, but all dogs can get this cancer
  • Rarely seen in cats
  • Similar to pediatric osteosarcoma in humans
  • Approximately 10 times more frequent in dogs than people

Morris Animal Foundation is committed to finding new treatments for osteosarcoma, launching an initiative in 2015 designed to direct research dollars to finding a way to stop metastatic disease. Studies underway include

  • Two clinical trials
  • Two new therapeutic targets
  • One patient-tailored chemotherapy

After Holly was diagnosed, Barby made sure her best friend was happy and comfortable until she had to say goodbye. By chance, as she healed from her loss, a friend told Barby about Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. The study is an extensive prospective study following more than 3,000 enrolled dogs to identify risk factors for cancer and other diseases in dogs.

Barby did some research and started thinking “maybe I could do this for Holly.” She brought into her life another young female golden retriever and named her Ms. Max. She enrolled Ms. Max in the Golden Retriever Lifetime. And, Ms. Max (Hero #1919) may not know it, but she is helping other dogs have a chance at a longer, healthier life. 

Ms. Max

 

In addition to her and Ms. Max’s participation in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, Barby also is a proud benefactor of Morris Animal Foundation. She hopes donations like hers can find cures or better treatments for cancers prevalent in dogs, as well as diseases in other animals.

Learn more about our work in osteosarcoma.