ENGLEWOOD, Colorado: It seemed like just another weekend for you and Sasha, your Golden Retriever. More than just an animal companion, your pet has been a family member for over 15 years now- and you remember having her since you were a kid.

But today she collapsed in the backyard. Now you're at the vet with your family, waiting. Then the vet comes in with some grave news: Sasha has cancer. And she doesn't have much time left.

Every year, thousands of dogs are diagnosed with canine cancer. According to Veterinary Practice News, cancer is the leading cause of natural deaths in canines. Many more unlucky pooches suffer from its debilitating effects.

Unfortunately, many popular dog breeds are particularly susceptible to getting cancer. This is according to Patricia Olson, DVM, PhD, President and CEO of the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF), an organization committed to promoting and protecting animal health and welfare through the advancement of veterinary medicine. And not just cats, dogs and horses, but for all sorts of companion animals and even creatures of the wild.

So what's non-profit organization MAF going to do about it? Why, earmark some $30 million to cure canine cancer within 20 years. But why is MAF so keen on keeping this project going? As it turns out, the ubiquitous dog - stalwart human companion and man's best friend - is a crucial link in solving the human cancer-cure puzzle, Dr. Olson said.

"This is the ultimate win-win situation. As we treat and cure cancer in our pet dogs, we may help alleviate the ravages of cancer among humans," Dr. Olson told Veterinary Practice News. "Once again the dog is going to be our best friend. That's our tag line: best friends helping best friends. We are going to help dogs and in doing so we might help ourselves."

As it turns out, dogs and humans share cancer characteristics, according to the Scientific American. Dr. David Waters, DVM, PhD. writes that dogs and humans are the only two species which naturally develop lethal prostate cancers. Canine breast cancer spreads to bones, just like humans. Osteosarcoma in dogs look just like osteosarcoma in teenagers- you can't even tell the difference under a microscope. The most frequently diagnosed form of canine lymphoma is very similar to medium and high-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in humans.

So, MAF's thirty-million-dollar canine cancer budget is a lot of money, but it's really quite a reasonable price tag considering all the clinical trials and prevention studies going on, as well as research into dog genetics and the canine genome, maintenance of a canine tissue bank and the establishment of an endowment to ensure continued research efforts.

Ambitious? Perhaps so. There are about 44 million dog-owning households in the United States alone. Yet if the organization can get a mere 1% of these homes to donate $50 each - all in the name of its dog (or dogs), or even on behalf of a puppy of the future - then it can easily raise $22 million in funds.

Then you have a network of scientists, veterinarians, oncologists, epidemiologists, geneticists and molecular biologists who are all willing to set aside their egos and get down to the more important task of working together and helping each other out.

And then you get generous support from other corporations who believe in a vision of a canine-cancer-free society- such as Pfizer Animal Health and Pets Best Insurance, each having plunked down at least a cool $1 million in support of the project.

Finally, get the support of the millions of animal-lovers and pet-lovers all over the world. Set up a website, and let your labor of love work its magic.

For more information on how you can do your bit and help fight the war against canine cancer, visit the MAF Canine Cancer Campaign website, or the Morris Animal Foundation website.