It was Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s belief that until man could extend his circle of compassion to include all living things, he himself would find no peace. For, while animals may not be our whole life, they do much to make our lives whole. Yet—how often do we take the time to understand and embrace the power and wonder that happens between animals and people? And, do we truly appreciate the healing power that animals have on humans and the happiness and sense of well being that they engender?

According to Dr. Marty Becker, “Our pets lend a touch of grace to our lives. They teach us the real meaning of unconditional love and bring out the kindest and most generous impulses of humanity.” And, Dr. Allen Schoen speaks to the premise that “Far from a luxury, pets are now recognized as a necessity—friends who fortify us daily with their gifts of love, loyalty and laughter.”

Our foundation's goals include, but are not limited to, the following:

• To support and promote holistically healthy and responsible dog care and ownership as well as respectful and consistent training practices—the love shared between mankind and dogs so engendering a mutual strength and healing power.
• To raise monies for research in comparative oncology and cancer treatment in working dogs (e.g., assistance, animal-assisted therapy, search and rescue, scent detection, and law enforcement) through donations and Foundation Store product sales.
• To develop creative media that embraces 'the bond' to raise monies for research in comparative oncology, which is the study of cancers that occur similarly in companion animals and humans.
• To support and disseminate information on canine cancers; and, to educate and promote interest in research of those cancers in companion animals that share a similarity to the cancers that afflict children.

Working toward Achieving our Vision
February 2005
Formation of Foundation

Year 2007
Although only a small organization run totally on a few volunteers' efforts, this calendar year we have provided $10,200 in support of cancer treatment for working dogs and $15,000 in support of research in comparative oncology through Dr. Gregory Ogilvie, Special Care Foundation for Companion Animals. Dr. Ogilvie is one of the first board-certified veterinary oncologists in the nation.

Year 2008
The recession hit us hard and donations, as well as sales, plummeted. We did manage to provide $2000 in support of cancer treatment for working dogs and provided $10,000 toward production costs for Gotta Dance. We will be heading into post-production in 2009.

Year 2009
The recession has continued to hit us hard and donations, as well as sales, plummeted. We did manage to provide $2500 in support of cancer treatment for working dogs and provided $18,500 toward production costs for Gotta Dance. We are still involved in post-production, musical scoring, and final editing with hopes of completion in the spring of 2010.

Management Board Members
Rochelle Lesser, Founder & President — Rochelle, a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who engages in  animal-assisted therapy, is a consultant with Millersville Psychological Services, located in Millersville, Maryland. Professional publications include two monograph articles: Stress and Illness in the Family: A Linear versus Family Life Space Perspective and The Child with Cancer: A Life Space Study of Six Families.

Rochelle also published the article, Following the Golden Brick Road, which appeared in Hoflin's 2003 Golden Retriever Annual, and wrote the foreword to the book, My Rescued Golden: True Stories of Rescued Golden Retrievers and the People Who Love Them. Her private practice and graduate teaching work, however, have been curtailed due to struggles with a mixed connective tissue disease (currently on a disability retirement). But, memories of her beloved Ollie and Darcy, and her current trained therapy dog expert, Alfie, keep her outlook bright.

Gary Lesser, Secretary-Treasurer — Gary has been a practicing community pharmacist in Maryland for over 30 years.

Suzi Beber, Board Member — Suzi, the creator of the Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund, through the University of Guelph's Veterinary College and Teaching Hospital's Pet Trust, is an important educational resource in the areas of canine cancer treatment options, nutrition, and complementary therapies. Suzi was the 2004 recipient of the Golden Retriever Club of Canada's Silmaril Kennel Trophy, for the human-animal bond.

Carolyn Scott, Board Member — Carolyn, one of the founders of the Musical Dog Sport Association, is a proponent of the human-canine bond through her own Magic of the Match. She is also portrayed in our upcoming Gotta Dance! Documentary Film.

David Mintzer, Board Member — David, President of Ideogram Productions, is an accomplished cinematographer and Documentarian.

Marti Brown, Board Member — Marti has been married for 26 years [2009], and along with her husband, has owned an automobile dealership for 23 years in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Marti began her interest in Goldens in 1978 when she and her husband, Joe, lived on their horse farm. At the time, they both thought Goldens would be a perfect fit because of their friendly nature. Marti was last Mom to Golden Angel, Carly, and together they enjoyed much pet visitation work. Sadly, in January 2009, 10½-year-old Carly was lost to cancer. However, June 2009 was a time for rebirth as Golden puppy Katly joined the family! With their current home now on the water, Marti's interests include water sports, snow skiing, hiking and, of course, Golden Love.
 

Advisory Board Members
Dr. Allen Schoen — A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with an additional Master's degree in neurophysiology and behavior, Allen Schoen is one of the most celebrated and sought-after doctors of veterinary medicine in the nation. He has been practicing both equine and small animal complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CIAH) since 1981, and has taught its special therapies throughout the world at conferences and veterinary schools, lecturing in Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, the U.S., and Canada. Dr. Schoen continues to work through the Center for Integrative Animal Health in the organization, Global Communications for Conservation, Inc., and teaches postgraduate courses in Integrative, Complementary Veterinary Medicine at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor. He is also an affiliate faculty member at the Colorado State, University College of Veterinary Medicine, and is on the faculty at the Chi Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine. He was a past President of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and was honored with a fellowship in the American College of Acupuncture for physicians – also appointed to both the North American Veterinary Nutraceuticals Council and the American Veterinary Medical Association Committee on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The guidelines he helped propose for the integration of CIAH into conventional veterinary medicine have recently been accepted by the AVMA.

Dr. Schoen has written the books, Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans & Animals Can Change The Way We Live, Veterinary Acupuncture: Ancient Art to Modern Medicine, and Love, Miracles, and Animal Healing : A Veterinarian's Journey from Physical Medicine to Spiritual Understanding, He was a co-editor of the book, Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine: Principles and Practice, and also co-wrote Love, Miracles, and Animal Healing: A Heartwarming Look at the Spiritual Bond Between Animals and Humans. He believes our connection to animals and to other aspects of nature is essential for our soul’s survival, and is now affiliated with The Garrison Institute in order to develop programs reflecting an understanding of healing through this relationship. He is also evaluating new nontoxic approaches to animal health issues that do not respond to conventional medicine, and is committed to the further investigation of what is “ultimate healing” and how mind/body medicine can beneficial all sentient beings.   

Dr. Marty Becker — Noted veterinarian and author, Marty Becker, is the Practice Leadership Editor for Veterinary Economics magazine, cofounder & vice-president of the Association of Veterinary Communicators, Chief Veterinary Correspondent for Amazon.com, and a Dog Fancy magazine contributing editor. He is also co-author of the book, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul: Stories About Pets as Teachers, Healers, Heroes & Friends, and author of the text, The Healing Power of Pets: Harnessing the Ability of Pets to Make and Keep People Happy and Healthy. Marty has lectured at the Smithsonian Institute, all North American veterinary schools, and on six continents and in over sixty countries. And, with his internationally distributed weekly newspaper column The Bond, his online Pet-Pourri column, and his appearances on Good Morning America & Animal Planet’s Petsburgh USA, he is effectively communicating both the science and soul of animals and their relationships with the people who love them. A recipient of the 2002 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award for protecting and promoting the human-animal bond, and the Western University of Health Sciences' 2002 Media Award for the Advancement in Health and Humanism, Marty has also worked to assist programs providing service dogs for sight and mobility impaired persons.

Arthur T. Vanderbilt, II — Art Vanderbilt is the award-winning author of seven books, a diverse range over a period of more than 25 years, that covers topics from pirates to the Gilded Age, from writing best sellers to gardening, and from New Jersey's judicial history to Golden Retrievers. It was through his book, Golden Days: Memories of a Golden Retriever, that Art became a good friend to us here at the Land of PureGold. He is listed in Who's Who in America, Contemporary Authors, and Who's Who in the Law, and is a partner in the law firm of Carella, Byrne, Bain, Gilfillan, Cecchi, Stewart & Olstein, Roseland, New Jersey. Art is also a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court's Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, and of the Board of Trustees of the Elizabeth Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church, and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Patricia Burlin Kennedy — Patty Kennedy is a Maxwell Award-winning author who is actively pursuing her interest in the human-animal bond. She wrote Bailey Bymyside: Golden Lessons for Life, a book comprised of meaningful observations that celebrate a Golden's wisdom and charm. And, she wrote Through Otis' Eyes: Lessons from a Guide Dog Puppy, a book that allows one to experience the joys and frustrations of raising a puppy destined to lead another person toward a more fulfilling life. A resident of Northern Virginia, Patty divides her time between her U.S. Senate staff duties, volunteering with various charitable groups such as the Guiding Eyes for the Blind, and running a busy household which includes her husband, two children, and two loving retrievers.

Supporters and Sponsors
You may be able to help if you believe a friend or business in your area is interested in providing a donation or sponsorship. Sponsors would benefit from unprecedented visibility, as our site is frequented daily by thousands of companion animal lovers. And with the site comprised of multiple sections over 1,000+ pages, there would be ample avenues for increased exposure.

We are in the post-production aspect of our documentary film, hoping for a national television broadcast on the Discovery Channel Network. The film will additionally be produced for distribution via DVD, and we are now seeking sponsors for the special opportunity to receive recognition through their inclusion.

Click here to contact us for further information.


The Google Grants Program supports organizations sharing their philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, and the arts. Designed for 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, Google Grants is a unique in-kind advertising program.

TechSoup Stock connects nonprofits and public libraries with donated and discounted technology products, their being able to choose from over 240 products from companies such as Microsoft, Adobe, and Symantec.
 

Harlan Hogan, who has voiced memorable lines such as "The cereal even Mikey likes," and "When you care enough to send the very best," is providing his special skills as narrator for our gotta dance documentary, The Dance of Life As a voice-over actor, Hogan's off­screen work in radio and TV commercials for such companies as Kraft, Cadillac, Ameritech, McDonald's, Budweiser, and Motorola to name but a few have made him a familiar voice in American homes. It's a voice also heard on countless industrial and educational films, movie trailers, recorded books, and corporate phone systems. Hogan even did the narration that you hear at the top of the Sears Tower and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.

We were fortunate to contact Harlan, as he and his wife are huge animal lovers and supporters, and he was therefore thrilled to be able to be part of our special feature. They are doing important volunteer work with Orphans of the Storm animal shelter, a wonderful place started by the famous dancer Irene Castle. Orphans of the Storm serves most of the animal control facilities and municipalities in Lake and Northern Cook Counties, Illinois. For literally hundreds of thousands of the unwanted, Orphans has been the refuge of last resort for the deserving dogs and cats from all over Northeast Illinois.


For 20 years, I See Spot’s parent company, L.A. SAM, INC., has been designing and manufacturing for the apparel industry. From successful adult contemporary lines to children’s clothing, L.A. SAM has built its reputation as a leader in quality garments made in the U.S.A. It is this experience, love of dogs, as well as the nine years of design collaboration between the company's owners, Sandy Maroney and Sharon Bolger, that has inspired the newest L.A. SAM, INC. direction into the dog couture market.

In July of 2003, I See Spot was launched, its ongoing success attributed most of all to quality. The fabrics are carefully chosen and designed with the comfort of the dog as the main priority. Novelty prints and screens are a trademark and help express the individuality of each dog. Their line of apparel had additionally been featured in upscale trade magazines, mainstream publications online, and on local television broadcasts.