As part of a long-standing partnership with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Petco Love has provided a $75,000 grant to subsidize the cost of cancer treatments for dogs and cats.

Since partnering with Cornell in 2016 to fight pet cancer, Petco Love and Blue Buffalo have donated $650,000 to Cornell for treatment and research, providing financial assistance to 250 families thus far. The latest grant will help bolster the “Petco Love & Blue Buffalo Pet Cancer Treatment Fund,” which is available at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals to owners who otherwise could not afford the cost of treating pets diagnosed with cancer.

Cancer is the #1 disease-related killer of dogs and cats, affecting one in four dogs and one in five cats. The costs of treatment can be prohibitive even for pet owners with pet insurance. When an owner can’t afford the appropriate care for their pets, a diagnosis of cancer can be devastating.

“Being able to alleviate that burden of cost has been huge for owners,” says medical oncology resident Skylar Sylvester ’14, D.V.M. ’18. “The moment we mention that we have this grant you can apply for, you can see the relief wash over the clients’ faces. Certainly, it has greatly changed the quality of care we’re able to provide to a lot of pets that the pet parents could not afford otherwise.”

In 2018, Sylvester treated Indy, a six-year-old puggle-Boston terrier mix, for lymphoma. Thanks to the Petco grant, Indy was able to receive treated on and off over the course of three years, going into remission each time.

“The treatments have allowed us to have so much more time than we ever believed we could have with Indy,” says her owner. “It’s made a huge difference in her life certainly, and in ours as well.”

The Petco Love and Blue Buffalo grant not only allows families access to established cancer treatments for their pets that they may not have been able to afford, but it also helps fund treatments for pets enrolled in clinical trials that are advancing veterinary cancer care for dogs and cats.

“Fighting pet cancer has always been a key part of Blue Buffalo’s mission," says Haley Perry, senior manager of consumer activation at Blue Buffalo. “Furry family members give so much to us. We want to support them and their pet parents through improved treatment options and funds to cover their care.”

Written by Christina Frank