Central Bark and Animal Cancer Foundation Join Forces to Unleash a Cure!®

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Nov 01, 2023, 10:15 ET

National partnership to shed light on the impact of canine cancer on pets and families while raising critical funds needed for groundbreaking Canine Cancer Genome Project research

MILWAUKEE, Wis., Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Central Bark, the premier whole dog care franchise and industry pioneer, is proud to announce that it has joined forces with Animal Cancer Foundation to host Unleash a Cure, a nationwide event to build awareness and raise funds to fight canine cancer. Kicking off in November during Pet Cancer Awareness Month, the year-long campaign will feature multiple fundraising activations across Central Bark's nearly 40 locations around the country.

"We share a collective understanding that cancer is one of the most serious problems facing dogs and their owners," said Bob Crawford, CEO of Central Bark. "Approximately 1-in-4 dogs will, at some stage in their life, develop tumors and almost half of dogs over the age of 10 will develop cancer. We've seen over 2 million dogs through our doors in our 20 years in business and too many of them and their pet parents have been touched by the devastating effects of cancer. Now, through our national partnership with Animal Cancer Foundation, we're going to make a difference, fund more effective treatments, and eventually find a cure."

One of the biggest Animal Cancer Foundation initiatives Central Bark is supporting is the multi-million-dollar Canine Cancer Genome Project (CCGP), sponsored by Blue Buffalo Foundation. Since the most common cancers in dogs are also very common in people, the CCGP is mapping those canine cancer genomes and placing that information into a public domain for every researcher to access. This will deepen the understanding of these naturally occurring canine cancers and allow researchers to discover new treatments for both pets and people, and eventually a cure.

"Partnering with Central Bark was a natural fit, as we both share a common understanding about the seriousness of canine cancer and what must be done to cure it," said Barbara Cohen, executive director Animal Cancer Foundation. "To kick off this partnership, Central Bark has already made a multi thousand-dollar donation to Animal Cancer Foundation and now we get to work directly with their franchise owners and their communities to build awareness and support. We can't wait to get started."

To make fundraising as simple as possible, anyone can stop by any of Central Bark's nearly 40 locations across the country and scan a QR code in the lobby to donate. Additionally, each Central Bark website features an Animal Cancer Foundation footer with a "Learn More" button to donate directly. Furthermore, many Central Bark locations will be participating in and hosting Pet Cancer Awareness Walks in November during Pet Cancer Awareness Month. The walk will be held as the "Nationwide^® Pet Cancer Awareness Walk Challenge" on the WoofTrax App starting November 1^st, allowing anyone to walk from anywhere at any time throughout November while raising funds on behalf of Animal Cancer Foundation. Additional activations across the Central Bark system will occur over the next 12 months.

About Central Bark:
The Central Bark franchise system was founded in 2003 and now operates under the name Barkley Ventures Franchising, LLC. For nearly 20 years, the brand has grown to nearly 40 locations across more than a dozen states. The company has hosted over two million dog visits. Central Bark is a VetFran participant, the International Franchise Association's (IFA) veteran program, and offers a franchise fee discount to qualifying veterans. Central Bark is also an IFA MinorityFran participant. For more information about franchising with Central Bark, visit centralbarkusa.com/franchising or call 866-799-2275.

About Animal Cancer Foundation:
Animal Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to finding new treatments and an eventual cure for cancer by increasing public awareness of and funding for comparative oncology research, the study of naturally occurring cancers in pets and people. For more information: www.acfoundation.org.

SOURCE Central Bark