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Project Hearts & Tails

Bringing Comfort & Hope to Kids Battling Cancer

Project Hearts & Tails is a wonderful and heart-warming new program, designed to bring comfort and hope to children newly diagnosed with cancer.  The program, free to children entering treatment around the country, is being rolled out in leading cancer centers.  Parents.com recently featured this special program on their site.

Children receive the book "We’ll Get Through This Together!"  in which a black lab shares his perspective of joining a boy going through every step of his cancer treatment. Written by Ulrike Szalay, the founder and Executive Director of Canines-N-Kids Foundation and beautifully illustrated by artist Roberta Marovelli,  the book captures how dogs’ unconditional love, comfort and friendship help children get through scary, sometimes lonely and difficult times along the treatment journey.  In the most of gentle ways, the book deals with the hospital setting, tests and treatments, physical changes kids may endure, and also acknowledges isolation - how difficult it can be to be separated from familiar routines, surroundings, one's family, home and support systems.

In addition, each child will also receive a soft, stuffed black lab pup, appropriately named BRAVE, wearing a yellow bandana (just as in the book). Wherever they go on their treatment journey, BRAVE promises to be a loyal companion and is always there to cuddle! Our friends at the Black Dog Company complete the "kit," having provided a special red baseball cap for each child.

In centers where it is possible, Project Hearts & Tails integrates hospital-affiliated animal assisted therapy programs to benefit kids who are eligible to participate.

In a subtle way, the black lab character's role in the book is also a double meaning- as he well could be the patient going through many of the same aspects of the treatment experience. The book's Epilogue discusses the profound connection between children and our beloved pet dogs in the battle against cancer, and the work of the Foundation to advance comparative cancer research to accelerate the development of new and better medicines for the treatment of shared cancers afflicting children and man's best friend.


Want to Donate a Book and Stuffed Pup to a Child Battling Cancer?

For a donation of only $30, Canines-N-Kids Foundation will deliver a book and pup to a child entering treatment at a participating cancer, all thanks to your generosity!

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Project Hearts & Tails

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