In memory of Rainier
Dog cancer education & resourcesFor more time.
For more dogs.
The Rainier Legacy Project shares plain-language canine cancer education and resources — osteosarcoma warning signs, treatment and clinical-trial information, and help finding a board-certified veterinary oncologist. It's inspired by Rainier, a beloved Akita who took part in an experimental immunotherapy trial.
Free appointment checklist
Free download
Veterinary oncology appointment checklist
A printable checklist to bring to your dog’s cancer appointments. Write down your primary and referring vet contacts, current medicines and supplements, food and allergies, choose simple questions to ask, and take notes on home care and next steps — plus a lined page for anything else.
Free PDF · 4 pages · No email required
25,000+
dogs are diagnosed with osteosarcoma each year in the U.S.
~90%
develop lung metastases within months, even with standard care
~7 yrs
typical age at diagnosis — large and giant breeds are most at risk
<1,000
human osteosarcoma cases a year — why canine research matters
What we do
One dog's fight, turned into a trail for others
Learn the signs
Plain-language guides to bone cancer in dogs — the earliest signals, the questions to ask, and the options on the table.
Learn the signs of osteosarcomaRemember them
A living wall where families celebrate the dogs who fought — their trails, their stubborn joy, their stories.
Visit the dog cancer memorial wallCarry it forward
Immunotherapy is rewriting what a bone cancer diagnosis can mean. Every story shared keeps that momentum going.
Read Rainier's osteosarcoma story
Our beginning
Rainier's fight is where this begins
He was an adventure partner, a welcome at the door, and a steady presence at the heart of his family. When osteosarcoma changed his life, his family chose to fight alongside him—through amputation, chemotherapy, and ultimately an immunotherapy clinical trial that offered something invaluable: hope for more time. His participation helped advance research that may give other dogs—and the people who love them—that same hope.
Read the full storyEducation
Know the signs. Ask the questions.
- A limp that doesn't resolve — especially in a large or giant breed
- Firm swelling over a bone that seems attached to it
- Reluctance to walk, play, or bear weight on one leg
- A limb that fractures without a serious fall or collision
These signs don't mean cancer — but in an at-risk dog, they deserve a vet's eyes quickly. Osteosarcoma moves fast.
Open the education hubFind a veterinary oncologist
The Legacy Wall
Every dog deserves to be remembered
A living wall of memorials — photos, stories, and the small translations of love that only the people who knew them can write.
Help carry the legacy forward
Want to help keep canine cancer education free for every family that needs it? We'd love to hear from you.
Contact us about supporting the mission