New grant to Texas A&M will help pet owners pay for cancer care

Texas A&M will be able to help more pet owners pay for their pets’ cancer care, thanks to a new grant.

The $75,000 grant awarded in January by the Petco Foundation is a follow-up to a previous one for $200,000. The money supports the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in providing care for domestic companion animals with owners of modest means or pets who have provided a service to others.

According to the university, Texas A&M was one of 11 universities to be awarded a follow-up grant.

“Owners cannot always afford treatment, so having these supplementary funds, in some cases, helps owners to not have to make a choice about what they can do. It allows them to treat their animal when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to,” said Dr. Heather Wilson-Robles, professor and chair of comparative oncology in the veterinary college. Wilson-Robles said 91 animals were served through the initial grant.

The university says it’s the only veterinary hospital in Texas to offer an integrated oncology service, with medical, radiation and surgical oncologists working closely together.

According to the announcement, the Petco Foundation and Blue Buffalo have invested more than $16 million to fight pet cancer since 2010.