All Paws Animal Clinic is a full-service veterinary hospital in Royal Palm Beach. Its mission is not only to give quality care to animals but also to give back to the local community.
One of the many charitable causes the clinic supports is the National Canine Cancer Foundation (NCCF). With one out of three dogs getting some form of cancer, the clinic understands the great importance of canine cancer research to save the lives of people’s beloved dogs.
The clinic first got involved with the charity three years ago, after its client, Chris Pike, vice president of marketing and promotions for the foundation, lost two golden retrievers to cancer.
All Paws Animal Clinic Office Manager Vicki Lanford remembers when Pike got the clinic involved with the foundation. “He put together the first Bark & Bowl here, and then we started by doing a dog wash called Scrub a Pup,” Lanford said. “We all got involved because of him, and we really loved his two dogs. They used to come here for treatment.”
This year, All Paws Animal Clinic will participate in the NCCF’s annual Bark & Bowl, which will raise money for canine cancer research. The South Florida Bark & Bowl will take place Friday, May 18 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Palm Beach Strike Zone (6591 S. Military Trail, Lake Worth). It will benefit the South Florida chapter of the National Canine Cancer Foundation for local cancer research. The organization provides funding through grants for research on life-saving cures, medicine and improved treatment for canine cancer patients.
“We see more and more cancer in dogs every day,” Lanford said. “I’ve lost a couple of my own dogs to it.”
Bark & Bowl events currently take place in South Florida, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. All Paws Animal Clinic will be a part of the South Florida Bark & Bowl, which currently features 10 teams. Each team has to raise money in order to bowl, and $500 is the minimum to reserve a bowling lane. Each team also has goal amounts of money they want to raise, which is tracked on the Bark & Bowl web site.
“We are second in line with our collection of money,” Lanford said. “We really appreciate everyone who has donated money or written letters about how canine cancer impacted their lives.”
South Florida Bark & Bowl will also include a live DJ, food, raffles, prizes, a silent auction and other local animal organizations.
“Although they can have some of the same symptoms, cancer in dogs is a little bit more difficult to detect than with humans,” Lanford said. “The pet owners have to really be their voice and be in tune with their pet. Watching their appetite and recreational activity, and obviously if they get a lump.”
All Paws Animal Clinic has been serving the western communities since 2002. Owner Patricia Forsythe is an experienced veterinarian who in 1985 received her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She had years of experience working in South Florida animal hospitals before opening up her own private practice.
The clinic offers treatments from flea and tick control to surgeries for declawing, as well as spay and neutering. It also has an in-house lab for fast and accurate diagnoses, as well as dental procedures and boarding for dogs and cats.
All Paws Animal Clinic is located at 1011 N. State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, visit www.allpawsanimal.com or call (561) 790-9225. For more about the National Canine Cancer Foundation, visit www.wearethecure.org or www.barkandbowl.com.
