Barclae – the Wonder Dog
Barclae has earned the right to wear those cool doggy shades.
Barclae has earned the right to wear those cool doggy shades.
He’s earned the words on his red doggy shirt:
Wonder Dog.
The Scottish Terrier has stayed a trooper, his “parents” say, despite everything he’s had to endure these past few years. Skin cancer on his right front paw. Two surgeries to remove two toes. Bladder cancer, twice. Chemo. More surgery.
(Barclae Update: As of August 2012, Barclae is still enjoying his wonderful dog life.)
“Barclae” is a Scottish name. It’s pronounced “Bark-lee.” Barclae Wagger. That’s his full name. He just turned 11.
Two years ago, Doug Kozisek and his wife, Deb, found that growth on Barclae’s paw. Their Omaha vet suspected malignant melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer that can spread quickly. He took a tissue sample. Then, as Barclae recovered from anesthesia, the vet explained that he would ship the tissue overnight to the Vet Diagnostic Center at UNL. He told them that a vet there, Dr. Bruce Brodersen, was one of the best at diagnosing cancer. But Deb wanted the results quickly. So she and Doug drove Barclae’s tissue sample to the center at UNL.
That day was the first time Doug and Deb – who’ve been dog lovers for decades – had ever heard about UNL’s Vet Diagnostic Center. In fact, most people have never heard of it. Many veterinarians in the state know about it because they send their samples there. But most pet owners don’t know about it at all, even though Dr. Brodersen and the other dedicated workers at the VDC see between 15 to 30 cases a day that are family pets like Barclae Wagger, whose tissue samples from the VDC did come back positive for cancer two years ago.
Gone undiagnosed, Barclae’s story might not be so wonderful today.
Now, it’s the Vet Diagnostic Center that needs help – from you.
Constructed in 1975, the facility is small and outdated. Its ventilation system is inadequate. Because of this, it’s in danger of losing its full accreditation. You can help make sure that doesn’t happen. The VDC has received a generous appropriation of $50 million from the state to build a new, state-of-the-art building on East Campus. To get the $50 million, the University of Nebraska must first raise $5 million from private donors. People at the VDC feel they must raise that money by Jan. 1 because that’s when a national accreditation team will re-evaluate the VDC.
Your family pet deserves the best care possible, and that includes a reliable testing lab. If you can help, please support the VDC.
