Dogs’ Cancer Therapies May Benefit Humans

Pet owners are taking their dogs to U.S. veterinary clinics to participate in medical trials that can be beneficial to man and his best friend, a report says.

The trials, often sponsored by drug or medical device companies, usually involve pets with cancer in which the animals receive a therapy eventually meant for humans.

It can help in reshaping the image of animals in science, from being considered tools to being considered patients, Martin Stephens, vice president for animal research issues at the Humane Society of the United States, told The New York Times. And we would love to see that change.

The National Cancer Institute established an association of more than 12 veterinary medicine teaching hospitals as test sites. The group just completed its first study and is scheduled to begin another in a few weeks. Researchers conducting the trials on pets said medical review boards approve the studies and the owners must sign consent agreements.

These are essentially our patients, said David M. Vail, director of clinical research at the University of Wisconsin ‘s veterinary school in Madison, Wis. We’re not taking them into the back room and experimenting with them.