Dogs detecting bowel cancer

Medical Detection Dogs has launched its first ever urgent fundraising appeal to support a pioneering project that could transform how bowel cancer is detected, using specially trained dogs. 

Right now, seven amazing dogs, Hetty, Willow, Jodie, Rosie, Mango, Callie, and Dotty,  are at a pivotal stage. They’ve been learning to detect the smell of bowel cancer in urine samples, a completely non-invasive, fast, and potentially life-saving breakthrough. 

But we need your help to continue. 

We must raise £130,000 to complete the next critical phase of the project. Without this funding, progress could grind to a halt and we risk delaying a breakthrough that could change the future of cancer detection. 

Why This Matters 

• Someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer every 15 minutes in the UK 

• 46 people die every day from the disease 

• It’s the second leading cause of cancer deaths 

• Over 85% of symptomatic patients undergo invasive colonoscopies, often unnecessarily 

• Many people avoid screening due to fear, discomfort, or embarrassment of providing a faecal sample 

• Due to the invasive nature of the colonoscopy screening process, only just over half of those offered will take it up. The less invasive faecal sampling is not very specific and patients often still require a colonoscopy. 

We believe that by using urine samples, instead of poo samples, we can reduce stigma and embarrassment, increase participation in screening and detect cancer earlier, when it’s most treatable. 

This could mean a future where people are screened non-invasively, where cancer is caught earlier, and where more lives are saved. 

Can You Help Hetty, Willow, Jodie, Rosie, Mango, Callie and Dotty Save Lives? 

These dogs are ready to play their part. Their training is progressing fast. All they need now is your support. 

The Power of Dogs 

Dogs’ sense of smell is extraordinary - up to 100,000 times more powerful than ours. They’ve already proven they’re capable of detecting a variety of diseases including other cancers, Parkinson’s and bacterial infections and our Medical Alert Assistance Dogs save lives by warning people with serious conditions, including PoTS, Addison’s Disease, and Type 1 diabetes 5–10 minutes before a dangerous medical episode. 

Now, with your help, we could expand our Medical Alert Assistance Dogs programme and revolutionise early bowel cancer detection.  

Support science. Support early detection. Support life-saving dogs. 

Thank you, we couldn’t do any of this without you!  

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