Often times when we think of loved ones who have battled cancer, we think of our two-legged friends rather than our four-legged ones. Just think about it–there are plenty of amazing and successful fundraisers for human cancer research, so why aren’t we hearing of any for our furry family members, too? Well, Geaux Pink Tigers is here to change that.

Lorrie Gaschen, an associate dean at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, sat down with us to let us know what Geaux Pink Tigers is all about.

Geaux Pink Tigers is an event orchestrated by the LSU Vet School to raise awareness for cancer in animals and fundraise for the school’s medical and radiation oncology facilities. What started in 2016 as a small, local event has grown into something Gaschen and the rest of the GPT team could have never imagined.

“It went from a community gathering at the school to the single highest crowdfunded event in LSU history,” explained Gaschen. “People care about pet cancer and improving pets’ lives, and this is the evidence. The crowdfunding made it possible for pets to receive treatment that would have otherwise been unaffordable, which has made an impact on the owners’ lives as well.”

Each November when the event is held, not only is the vet school honoring the pets in treatment at its own facility, but they’re also helping animal cancer patients all over the world. After all, November is Pet Cancer Awareness month, and this year, GPT is honoring that in an extra special way.

“We decided to honor GPT and Pet Cancer Awareness Month through a social media campaign filled with stories of patients at the veterinary hospital that have gone through cancer treatment and photos of the survivors for the public to see the great work we can do together,” says Gaschen.

As a two-year cancer survivor herself, Gaschen explains that to her, Geaux Pink Tigers means community and support. By seeing the impact that the money raised by GPT has on the oncologists’ ability to treat animals, Gaschen remembers how much people care about cancer and survivorship for both people and animals.

This year’s Geaux Pink Tigers crowdfunding campaign is in its final days. Want to help? Check out the website here.