I want my dog to live longer

I love music! On a recent trip to Lodi, I happened to listen to a wonderful song by blues man Curtis Salgado. It is titled “I Want My Dog to Live Longer (The Greatest Wish).”

He had lots of wishes, but the best one was, he wanted his dog to live longer. You can check it out by Googling “Curtis Salgado I Want My Dog to Live Longer.”

I have to agree with him. I want Watson to live longer; of course, I want to live longer, too. The average life of a dog (if we are lucky) is about 14 years. We were fortunate to have our previous Lab, Baby, for 16 1/2 years. It absolutely broke my heart when Baby passed.

I know that Mr. Salgado and I aren’t the only ones who want our loved ones to live longer. The Dog Longevity Project out of the University of Washington is an institution that focuses on prolonging healthy lives for dogs.

Geroscience is the biology of aging, and researchers have made tremendous strides in slowing aging and extending the lifespan of smaller mammals. The Dog Aging Project is in its second year of research, and so far the results have been favorable. They are testing the drug rapamycin, which is already approved by the FDA for use in humans.

Rapamycin has been shown to improve cognitive function, cardiovascular performance and immunity in dogs. Imagine adding five more years of active healthy life to your dog’s life. That’s exactly what the scientists are shooting for. They want to extend the time of life when the body is at peak performance.

If you would be interested in enrolling your dog in the study, go to dogagingproject.com. We live in exciting times, and I’m always amazed by the strides science is making to improve our lives. Yep, I want my dog to live longer, and it just might be possible.

IN NEED OF

Funds to replenish our veterinary account.

Shelving for storing supplies.

Aluminum cans, which we recycle to augment our shelter funds. We are now able to pick up cans from you! If you have cans to pick up, call 775-423-7500.

Volunteers to walk dogs and play with cats. Contact Karen at 775-423-7500.

SHOUT OUT TO

Audrey Mondhink for donating cans. A Paws Up Salute to You!

Our wonderful volunteers who walk dogs, Rob McKinney, Gabby, Teressa McAllister and Daisy Ortiz. All tails are wagging for you!

COME SEE US

CAPS will be at Walmart on June 16 with the Kissin’ Booth and a puckered-up pooch. Come by to get your pooch smooch. We have colorful caps and shirts, so be sure to check out the merchandise after you have loved on our pup.

DON’T FORGET

June Pet Holidays: Adopt a Cat Month.

Flower Tree Nursery will again be raffling a 20-gallon tree on June 15, and the winner doesn’t have to be present to win. The raffle tickets are available at Flower Tree, and they are $1 for one ticket and $5 for six tickets.

To register in the AmazonSmile program, a website operated by Amazon. Customers enjoy many of the same selection of products, low prices and shopping features as on Amazon.com. The only difference is that, when you shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5 percent of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organization selected by you.

CONTACT CAPS

CAPS’ mailing address is P.O. Box 5128, Fallon, NV 89407. CAPS’ phone number is 775-423-7500. CAPS’ email address is caps@cccomm.net. Please visit the CAPS website (www.capsnevada.com) and Facebook page (Churchill Animal Protection Society). Be sure to “Like” CAPS on Facebook because we are really likable. CAPS is open to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Do you have questions, comments or a great story? Contact me, jkwmil@outlook.com.

Kathleen Williams-Miller is a CAPS volunteer.