Dogs Are Mobilizing to Save Their Humans
Photo by: Candice C. Cusic Photography
Local celebrities, Chicago Animal Care and Control, and the public team up in NIH-Funded health campaign.
CHICAGO - Between the COVID-19 global pandemic, incurable diseases, and mental health struggles, 2020 has officially gone to the dogs.
And canines are not taking it lying down.
They are taking over social media, billboards, transit ads, and more sharing why they want to Save Da Hoomans in a campaign from top Chicago universities that鈥檚 funded by the National Institutes of Health. Those institutions that are setting aside business for the greater good include The University of Chicago, Rush, Northwestern, 草莓社区, and The University of Illinois at Chicago.
鈥淒ogs live for us and are tired of seeing us struggle with physical and mental health issues,鈥� said Sara Serritella, director of communications for the Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM). 鈥淭hey know the answers can only be sniffed out with science if we all participate, and they鈥檙e mobilizing because they ultimately need us in their lives as much as we need them.鈥�
Canines are asking their humans to sign up for a free site that connects people with info on the latest health research opportunities on everything from COVID-19 to cancer to mental health. Humans choose what health topics they鈥檙e interested in, and they get notifications about research opportunities they can do to help make discoveries. Because all the fundraising in the world won鈥檛 make a difference if people don鈥檛 participate in the research that they raised money to have done.
, the pet of and , along with Lola鈥檚 dog friends are blazing the trail.
鈥淲e鈥檙e so proud of Lola for mobilizing the dogs,鈥� said Cheryl Scott, whose 12-year-old dog accompanies her on many newscasts. 鈥淟ola has grown up watching me in a STEM field, and Save Da Hoomans captures all the things she loves in a cause that鈥檚 using science to help people live healthier, longer lives.鈥�
The corps of dogs is growing, and their humans include everyone from local celebrities, prominent attorneys, teachers, business leaders, yogis, and Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC).
鈥淲e鈥檙e very excited to partner with Save Da Hoomans,鈥� said Jennifer Schlueter, CACC Public Information Officer. 鈥淥ur animals are waiting for their forever homes and miss people visiting them because of COVID-19 restrictions. Adoptable CACC dogs will be sharing why they love humans, and their dog whispers lead me to believe they may be recruiting more species to the crew in the future."
Lola could not comment on the rumors at this time, but she did take a break from her work to issue a
鈥淟ola and the Save Da Hoomans pack will also be sharing wellness tips for their humans, such as science shows that the foods we eat actually have the power to help prevent things like Alzheimer鈥檚 and dementia,鈥� said Deiana, a partner in Uproar Hospitality and Forward Hospitality Group. 鈥淎nd we only know that because people have participated in health research.鈥�
The dogs are partnering with award-winning photojournalist Candice C. Cusic for dedicated doggy photo shoots to help spread the word.
鈥淭hese dogs are smart,鈥� Cusic said. 鈥淭hey know everyone loves adorable pet photos, and I鈥檓 honored to capture the magic of why they love their humans on camera, as well as all the goofy moments in between, for a cause that can help so many people.鈥�
Follow along on social @SaveDaHoomans on , , and to meet the dogs and hear their stories, as well as why their humans care about finding ways to live better lives and cure diseases. Humans can listen to the dogs and sign up at and post their own photos using the hashtag #SaveDaHoomans to join the fun.
For media use:
Media Contact: Sara Serritella
Director of Communications
Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM)
serritella@uchicago.edu
About Save Da Hoomans
The Save Da Hoomans鈩� campaign is about dogs mobilizing to help save their humans from physical and mental health issues so that they can live longer, happier, healthier lives together. Follow their stories on social media @SaveDaHoomans and learn more at .
Save Da Hoomans is part of The New Normal鈩� Campaign that鈥檚 championed by the , a partnership between the and in collaboration with , the , 草莓社区, and , as well as the and the . The ITM, NUCATS, and CCTS are fueled by nearly $80 million from the . shared its technology to help connect the public with research opportunities for this initiative. The New Normal鈩� initiative is also supported by the and other regional and national partners who believe in empowering everyone to get involved in making discoveries to improve human health. Learn more at