I am pleased to say we are making a lot of progress on finishing the documentary. The score is being completed by the group “Liquid Intonation” and the final narration is being recorded. The current momentum on the project is very exhilarating. It continues to be a wonderful learning experience. At times it has been overwhelming, mainly because of the personal nature of this documentary but it has also proven to be a great healing for us. I hope that it will ultimately provide comfort to others going through the same situation.
Here it is 2008 already. We had hoped to be done the dogumentary by now but it has grown a little bigger than we initially envisioned. That’s a good thing though. We’re working had on the final edit and trying to get the last few pick-up shots as well as some FX scenes done. We did have a minor setback when our Mac computer up and died but we’re back on track now.
A little while ago, I started writing a book as a companion piece to the film. That has been taking up a lot of my time now and I’m not sure which one will be finished first at this point. Either way it’s an exciting and emotional ride and we’re glad to be able to share it with everyone. Thanks again to all those who have given us so much support through this journey.
In the meantime here’s a slideshow tribute to Raja.
November is pet cancer awareness month and in honor of Raja we are dedicating our support to the National Canine Cancer Foundation. The foundation raises money to fund grants for research to find a cure and better treatments for canine cancer. Be sure to read their facts on cancer page. It contains a lot of very useful information for dog guardians. It is very important that we find new treatments and a cure for canine cancer. This disease is equally horrible in the canine world as it is for humans.
What a journey this has been. What started out as us just trying to have something to remember Raja by, has grown into a massive project. It’s been a great journey on many levels…learning a lot about ourselves and what’s really important in life as well as a lot about making a documentary.
Recently we’ve had an epiphany about the real story here and are madly working on finishing up the doc in that direction. So, that has put us behind schedule. Being that this is a passion project, we’ve decided that’s okay because it’s for the greater good of the project. We’re now hoping to finish by the end of this year. So once again, thank you to everyone for all your support on this journey.
On June 30th, 2005 our 8 year old Golden Retriever, Raja, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma or bone cancer. Over the next 8 months, we documented the fight for his life. This documentary is a tribute to our courageuos Raja and an effort to help others understand this horrible disease.
This is the official site for Red Dog Diary: A dogumentary of one dog’s battle with cancer.
We’ve been honored by The Internet Safety Blog with the MAKING A DIFFERENCE, or M.A.D. Badge. This is from the site:
The MAKING A DIFFERENCE, or M.A.D. Badge will be given to those who truly make a difference; by being extraordinarily helpful, kind, compassionate, or passionate about a particular cause or effort. They truly are making a difference in one person’s life, or many.
We’re very happy that Raja’s story has touched so many and we hope that it will help to comfort and help others dealing with this terrible disease, human and canine.
The Internet Safety Blog is a very informative page about safe use of the internet, particularly as it pertains to children. If you have children, you owe it to them and yourself to read through this site.
I stumbled across this list at Land of Pure Gold and thought it worth posting here. If you notice any of these signs in your dog, please see a vet as soon as possible. As with humans, the sooner cancer is detected, the better the odds of survival.
AVMA’s 10 Warning Signs of Canine Cancer
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Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
Sores that do not heal
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
Offensive odor
Difficulty eating or swallowing
Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
Persistent lameness or stiffness
Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating
Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to send us feedback on the trailer. We really appreciate it! We’ve been getting asked when the documentary will be finished. We’re aiming to release it for festival showings this fall if all goes well. Thanks again for all your support!
I’ve added a links page with a few resources we found to be invaluable in learning about osteosarcoma and treating it. I hope this can help others dealing with this terrible disease.
Ok so I’m still not quite done the trailer but it is so close. It’s hard to work on because it’s very personal but I am determined to finish it this week. Thanks again for all the beautiful comments. See you soon!
