Special Honoree

Kayla, the Great Dane
Eight and a half years ago, a tiny miracle was born who grew into a truly great Great Dane. Her name was Kayla, and she graced the lives of all the lucky ones who chanced to meet her, including her family and friends here at The AMC.

[Photo of Layla] Kayla always possessed an incredible spirit and zest for life. Her morning routine consisted of going to the beach for an hour to play. She would gallop in big arcs and run to friends she recognized, giving a "Great Dane lean" in return for treats and love. She wanted her family and friends to all walk along together, and was sure to round up anyone who lagged behind. We used to call her the beach "nanny" - she would run over to other dogs if she thought they were playing too rough and "woof" at them. She would even wrinkle her forehead and stomp her feet to make her point!

A month before she turned four, Kayla was diagnosed with canine melanoma. While surgery removed the small growth found on her lip, she experienced a recurrence one year later. I was determined to keep her going despite her grim prognosis. After several hours of searching online, I found a clinical trial for a melanoma vaccine developed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center that was being tested in dogs with melanoma at The Animal Medical Center in New York. And even though we lived in Virginia and Maine, I knew I had to enroll Kayla in this trial.

Kayla had her first dose of the vaccine four days later, and every few weeks thereafter for the next several months. Our friends would often ask how it was that we could travel hours each way, pulling out of our driveway at three in the morning to get to New York for our appointment. For me, it was never a duty, as much as a desire -- I was genuinely happy and excited for each trip because I knew we were doing everything we could and getting the best possible care to help Kayla.

We were lucky enough to be paired with Dr. Nicole Leibman, who always seemed to instinctively know Kayla's test results even before the lab announced their findings. These treatments helped Kayla to live out the rest and full breadth of her life – an additional three and a half joyful years frolicking on the beach, playing with her dog and human friends. In July of this year, Kayla was diagnosed with an aggressive osteosarcoma in her front leg and we lost her a month later. We treasured every single precious day with her.

I believe that it was a combination of Kayla's great spirit for life and the clinical aspect at The AMC that worked in tandem to keep her going strong. The advanced science of the vaccine (conditionally approved by the USDA this spring for treatment in dogs with melanoma), catalyzed by Kayla's strength, enabled us to share those additional years together, and they were some of the best. I miss her every day, but I know that I did the very best thing for her by bringing her to The AMC, and that gives me great comfort. I am forever grateful to Dr. Leibman and all the caring staff we encountered on our many visits over the past several years.

I decided it would be a wonderful tribute to Kayla to ask friends and family to donate to The AMC for oncology research in her memory, so that other beloved animals and their owners could benefit from innovative care as we did.

- This tribute was lovingly written by Kayla’s mom, Ms. C.

Kayla leaves behind an amazing legacy, not only of her wonderful spirit, but also her important contributions to veterinary science that may someday help medical science overall. We honor Kayla and thank her for her love and courage.

Perhaps you would like to honor or remember a pet who touched your life. To make a gift, please visit www.amcny.org/contribute. For more information, please call (212) 329-8660.