Working Police And Service K-9s Join Campaign To Share Silent Symptoms Of Ovarian Cancer

CHICAGO - Feb. 26, 2015 - PRLog -- On Saturday, March 21, the newly opened Partners and Paws Veterinary Services in Lisle, 560 Ogden Avenue, will join a growing group of veterinary clinics across the state to join in a unique awareness campaign surrounding ovarian cancer awareness education. The Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness (OCSA) organization will lead the ceremony welcoming Partners and Paws Veterinary Services, owned by Alexis Newman, DVM, as the first Working Police Dog and Service K-9 clinic to join the educational outreach initiative.

OCSA created the Veterinary Outreach Program in partnership with the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association (ISVMA) as a collaborative effort designed to open new channels of communication about ovarian cancer by educating veterinary clinic leaders about the benefits of sharing the silent symptoms of ovarian cancer with their pet-owning clients.

Why doctors and veterinarians? According to Debbie Lakamp, CAE, acting executive director of the ISVMA, a general observation in the veterinary medical community is that pet owners who discuss their pets’ health often feel comfortable talking about their own health concerns with their veterinarians. Veterinary professionals tend to form trusting, long-term professional relationships with their clients, who often disclose personal information about their own health concerns.

Partners and Paws Veterinary Services’ VOP launch is unique because it is dedicated to the care of police K9 partners and personal dogs and cats, so the urban and rural veterinary clinic’s outreach will also help educate the police community.

Each year, over 20,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and approximately 14,000 women die from the disease. There is an urgent need to share the silent symptoms so early detection and treatment are achieved, and lives are saved. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, over 80 percent of veterinarians graduating today are female. This increases the possibility of a personal connection to the disease and a viable tie to the purpose of the VOP.

The free public reception and celebration begins at 1 p.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. after the induction ceremony led by Vallie Szymanski, executive director for OCSA, Debbie Lakamp, Roger Mahr, DVM and former CEO of the One Health Commission, and Kurt Klepitsch, DVM, owner of Gateway Veterinary Clinic in St. Charles and the first member of the VOP. Guests will receive refreshments and goodie bags.

For more information, visit http://www.ovariancancersymptomawareness.org.

About the Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness Organization (OCSA)
OCSA is a Section 501 (c) (3) charitable organization founded in 2010 to educate women and their families about the silent symptoms of ovarian cancer and the need for early detection and treatment. Donations to OCSA are deductible as a charitable gift. For questions concerning tax deductibility, please consult a tax advisor. Follow the accomplishments and find key information about this cause on Facebook at OCSAChicago, on Twitter @ocsachicagoorg, or visit http://www.ovariancancersymptomawareness.org