Roland and the Hounds

About the Campaign

What if all you wanted was to be normal? That’s all Roland wants.

To be a normal dog that can jump off the couch and not worry about going to the ER for three days. To play in the park with other dogs. Go hike. Go to the beach. Dog’s lives are short, and to live one that is confined in worry and fear is not fair, it isn’t right.

Here is the good news: Roland can be normal! He can live a full, happy life. And not just him, a whole bunch of dogs, 30, 40 maybe more, all stuck now in the same situation, they can all be helped, they can all be better.

Zach is also in the study:

Hemophilia affects all dogs, all breeds and sizes. The basic problem is that the blood does not clot, so a cut will keep bleeding. But do you know what a bruise is? That dark spot is also blood, inside. And in hemophiliac dogs, that will not stop either. A simple misstep, a bump into a wall, anything like that, can result in uncontrolled internal bleeding.

Sonny is too, he had to have 3 transfusions after a simple bruise got out of control

It is genetic, and the number of dogs with hemophilia isn’t really known because doctors suspect many die young without ever being properly diagnosed. For those that are diagnosed, many end up being put down. Living with hemophilia is very difficult, and expensive. Minor wounds become days long hospital stays. Minor surgeries require multiple blood transfusions. Roland was lucky to have a dedicated owner who also had purchased quality pet health insurance, but many are not so lucky.

CBS News Video about this Study

What is the treatment? It is experimental, so it is done as a study. But previous studies have had a 100% success rate! Every dog treated was no longer hemophiliac, every single one developed the ability to clot blood and no longer had spontaneous bleeding or bruising. And in one study they followed up 10 years later as well, with all the dogs still normal! The treatment is truly a miracle of modern medicine where the liver is “reprogrammed” to produce more clotting factors. Full details of the study are HERE.

The “Goodest Boy”, Walter too wants a normal life

What is needed? Money. Doctor Monica Revel, who is leading the study, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, are volunteering their time and expertise. The cost is developing of the “vector”, which is genetic material that is injected into the dog. This is created at a special lab at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, and cost $50,000. Once this material is created, it is administered to the dogs.

Dr. Revel and the group of dog owners participating have already raised $27,000, over half of what is needed. If we can get this study fully funded, Roland and many other dogs will get this life saving and life changing treatment. They will get to be normal. And we will be able to use the success of the first round to get more funding for another round and another! Donations here could potentially end up saving countless dogs, and providing relief to so many worried owners.

All donations are specifically for this hemophilia study. Join this journey! Together we can make a real impact on Roland’s life and many others.