Dogs that Can Detect Cancer

For a long time now dogs have been used in all different realms for their instincts and a keen sense of smell. From police dogs to guide dogs and even centers that use dogs to help with mental illnesses and depression. It’s hard to determine the true purpose of these furry friends but needless to say, their extraordinary senses have shown to have limitless bounds. In the newest discovery, dogs are now being trained to be able to detect cancer. Penn Vet Working Dog Center is one of the most highly innovative centers working on this. At this point they have four highly trained cancer detection dogs at their center, putting purebreds to work in using their keen sense of smell to detect ovarian cancer. The doctors at Penn Vet, part of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, have been teaming up with chemists and physicists to isolate cancer chemicals that only dogs can smell. “We don’t ever anticipate our dogs walking through a clinic. But we do hope that they will help refine chemical and nanosensing techniques for cancer detection,” said Dr. Cindy Otto, the founder and director of the Working Dog Center.