Photo: Sisters Forgo Birthday Gifts in Effort To Raise Money To Cure Can...( Child Crusaders Support Morris Anima...),Health

Child Crusaders Support Morris Animal Foundation's Canine Cancer Campaign

in Celebration and Memory of a Loved Dog

DENVER, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Three years ago, 11-year-old Courtney Frost of Greensboro, N.C., gave up birthday presents. Instead, she asked friends for donations to honor the Frosts' family dog, Sampson, who had died of cancer. Leah Frost soon followed in her big sister's footsteps, and the two became crusaders against canine cancer. They donate their birthday "gifts" to Morris Animal Foundation's Canine Cancer Campaign, which is working to cure this disease in the next 10 to 20 years. The sisters' hope is to honor Sampson and to make the world a better place for all dogs and the people who love them.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070417/LATU030LOGO )

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/morrisanimalfoundation/34359/

Sampson, a Labrador-shepherd mix, was a gift from a neighbor whose dog had delivered 11 puppies. To Courtney and Leah, Sampson was the world's best brother. From the start, he was very protective of the girls, standing like a sentinel next to their strollers.

"Sampson was our first child -- baby number one," says Sandy Frost, the girls' mother.

Born with severe hip problems, Sampson had a hip replacement at one and a half years old. The Frosts built him a ramp so he could get in and out of the house. The first signs of cancer appeared when Sampson was 13. The Frosts sought out the best cancer care possible, but when Sampson didn't respond to medical treatment, they brought him home. When he stopped eating, they knew it was time to say good-bye.

After Sampson's death, the Frosts received a memorial card from their veterinarian celebrating
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