Above my desk I have a plaque of a patient – a beautiful 3-legged white dog called Tasha. She is rolling in the grass, all smiles, eyes closed in enjoyment, not worrying that she only had 3 legs or that she was fighting cancer. Tasha was about living life in the moment and sharing her joy with her owner. The plaque reads: “Some gifts you hold in your hand, some you hold in your heart”. It is the little moments like this that make life big. The roll in the grass, the chase of the squirrel, the lazy stretch on a sunny window sill, the cuddle in the morning. These are the gifts each of us hold in our hearts, forever proof of how our pets enrich our life, make us smile and bring out the best in us.

The Americal Cancer Society is organizing Bark for Life on Saturday, August 20th, 2011 in Renton, WA as an extension of Relay for Life. Dr. Sarbu will be giving the opening presentation and be there to answer questions regarding cancer in pets. Join us for a fun walk with your four-legged friends, while honoring canine caregivers and canine cancer fighters.  You can find details about the event at the following website: http://rentonrelay.org

One year ago today, VOC opened the doors to see the first patient – a dog named Becky that needed to continue treatment for lymphoma. She was 12.5 yrs old and was a previous patient I started to treat in April 2010. Watching her trot happily in our sunny lobby made the tiredness caused by the fast-paced two-month remodeling project called VOC go away, leaving just the desire to help. To help Becky and others like her that were unfortunate to have a diagnosis of cancer fight for their lives. To help owners like Becky's mom to understand their options and stay strong through the journey ahead.

 The Mutt March 5K Dog Walk on Saturday, June 11, 2011 was a great event, attended by many pet owners and their beloved furry friends. The Mill Creek Rotary Club has done a fantastic job in organizing the event to the enjoyment of all present. Here are some of the highlights of the event and the story of the VOC Mutt March Team 

 We would like to invite you to participate in The Mutt March 5K Dog Walk on Saturday, June 11, 2011! Join the Veterinary Oncology Center Team and walk with us for a great cause! For us it is not just a dog walk, it is a walk of friendship and hope, of fighting hard and celebrating the good days. It is a walk of remembering those who have passed. So bring your best friend along, 4-legged or human and walk with us – together we can make the difference!

 You can find details about our team at the following website: http://k9muttmarch.dojiggy.com/VeterinaryOncologyCenter To join us, register for the walk, then assign yourself to the Veterinary Oncology Team. If you cannot participate in the walk, you can still make a pledge for our team if you would like.

We are proud to be included in the Top Vets list in Seattle Met's March 2011 issue! This issue's featured story is PETS & VETS and it lists the top veterinarians in Seattle area, based on peer evaluations.

http://www.seattlemet.com/health-and-fitness/articles/seattle-best-vets-0311/

On February 22nd, Potter from 94.1 KMPS radiostation visited Veterinary Oncology Center! He was out visiting places, part of the Race to Meet 1000 Listeners between him andCandy. He arived during a very special day for us - Dreamer's Birthday!. Dreamer is an Australian Shepherd diagnosed with T cell lymphoma that has been in complete remission for one year. We celebrated his 7th Birthday - Happy Birthday Dreamer!

To hear what Potter had to say about his visit, please visit the 94.1 KMPS website at http://kmps.radio.com/2011/02/22/happy-birthday-to-dream/ You can also see more pictures by joining us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Veterinary.Oncology.Center