Amos Amadeus of Rex Hill

Cricket and I thank the many, many people who sent their sympathy for the loss of our big brother, friend, four-legged child, and caring companion, Amos, who died too young of a terrible cancer found only in dogs: hemangiosarcoma. This cancer is slow growing in the beginning, insidious because it causes no pain until the very end, feeds on the blood vessels in vital organs drawing blood into itself until its tumors become engorged with blood and rupture. Once this happens, it is often too late, as in Amos's case.. The prognosis after removal of tumors, draining of the pericardium and abdomen and chemo, is usually dire, for Amos a day or two to 90 days maximum. He was hemorrhaging in the abdomen and around his heart, could not stand, labored to breathe and for the heart to beat. There were no pulses that could be detected anywhere. Yet he tried to look up, tried valiantly to live and in the end comfort me by putting his head on my hand, kissing it as if to say," to the end I love you unconditionally and am yours completely." There is a foundation, the Morris Animal Foundation, that funds research to help all animals. In particular there is one part devoted to dogs and understanding why certain breeds are so prone to cancer. The Golden dogs, golden little souls, are hardest hit. There was not a mean bone in Amos's body. He is a model of behavior for humans in this era of meanness, pettiness, hatred. He was the Gandhi of dogs. And beautiful inside and out. I have enrolled my pets in this study and intend to make a donation in Amos's memory. If you love your pets, do look into the Morris Animal Foundation. And if you love dogs, please contribute to and become involved in their study of disease in all dogs, but especially cancer in Golden Retrievers. "The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study will help identify nutritional, genetic and environmental risk factors for cancer and other important diseases in dogs. Results will provide comprehensive data on diseases and other health challenges, including cancer. Findings will be used as a launching point for multiple health studies in dogs. SUPPORT THE STUDY 3000+ Golden Retrievers enrolled in the study across the U.S. 60% of Golden Retrievers"