CMI Andy’s Army Invited Visitors To CVM 2017 Open House

Written by Patti Reitz and Susan Bechtel, Andy’s Army (Reprinted with Permission)

For kids, a trip to Disneyland is as good as it gets. For Patti Reitz and Sue Bechtel of Andy’s Army, our fantasy trip was a visit to the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Thanks to Julie Nettifee, our long time NCSU CMI  liaison person and tour guide extraordinaire, our dream came true the weekend of March 31-April 2, 2017.

Highlights of our trip included an open house on April 1^st and visits with osteosarcoma researcher Marije Risselada, CMI director Dr. Jorge Piedrahita, and Dr. Jonathon Fogle, OSA /immunology researcher at NCSU-CMI. We also toured the Randall Terry Companion Animal Veterinary Medical Center where we saw an array of veterinary procedures and equipment. We learned about cataract surgery in pets, tried out an endoscope, and saw x-rays of household items ingested by pets including a needle and a rubber duckie! We checked out Norman’s Garden and we visited with folks from several pet rescues, the AKC, the State Bureau of Investigations K-9 unit, treiball, and many more!

All in all, we came away with a feeling of hope and energy. We are convinced that good things will come from NCSU for both people and pets!

The 7^th annual Andy’s Army walk & fun run for canine cancer research will be held on Sunday, September 17, 2017 at Side Cut Metropark, 1025 W. River Rd., Maumee, OH from 9:30 am till 12:30 pm. We are currently looking for sponsors, teams, volunteers, and walkers/fun runners.