Please note:  The North Coast Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ohio, Inc., has found the Rabies Challenge research of great importance and supports the efforts of Dr. Ronald Schultz and his team with a donation.

Rabies Challenge Fund 

Jan Rasmusen, author of the national award-winning book "Scared Poopless:  The Straight Scoop on Dog Care", and two anonymous dog lovers announce a combined $35,000 matching gift to the Rabies Challenge Fund.

Jan's gift is being made on behalf of her dog, Chiclet, in honor of Chiclet's companion, Jiggy, who developed autoimmune liver disease after a rabies shot.

Jan Rasmusen says that by helping to fund the Rabies Challenge studies, we have this chance to help beetter the lives of not just hundreds of dogs, or even thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, we can potentially help to improve the health of every pet dog in America.

The anonymous donors add "we are totally dedicated to the Rabies Challenge Fund and its mission and are so pleased to be able to support it with the matching gift of $35,000.

From May 1 to August 31, 2008, for donations of $100.00 or more, Jan and the anonymous donors will match $1 of every $2 donated, up to $35,000, and Jan will send an autographed copy of her book for donations above $500 as well.

Also, Chiclet has enlisted the support of canine movie star Benji, who says "this important study is long overdue;  I give the Rabies Challenge study four big paws up!"

Donations from our team of dedicated supporters like Jan and the anonymous dog lovers, along with steady grass-roots public contributions have launched our second year of fund-raising with a bang  .... responds Fund Co-Trustee, Dr. W. Jean Dodds.

Funded by grass-roots donations, the Rabies Challenge studies began in November 2007 with the goal of extending the required interval for rabies boosters to five, and then seven years.  Dr. Ronald Schultz, Chair of the Department of Pathobiology of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, is conducting the studies according the USDA vaccine-licensing standards.  Previous French research on the rabies vaccine demonstrated a minimum of five years duration of immunity by challenge.  American serological studies showed a minimum duration of immunity of seven years.

"It is so exciting and important to get support for the Rabies challenge Fund from as many dog owners as possible.  The very generous combined $35,000 matching gift from Jan Rasmusen and the anonymous donors will go a long way to provide the funding required for these critically important rabies vaccine studies", comments Dr. Schultz.

Fund founder, Kris L. Christine, says "We are thrilled about these generous gifts and Benji's endorsement, which will make a huge difference in helping us meet our second year's budget for the studies.

Find more information on the matching $35,000 gift to the Rabies Challenge Fund at the website designed by Andrea Brin, http://www.RabiesChallengeFund.org and on Jan Rasmusen's Truth 4 Dogs website at http://www.Truth4Dogs.org

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