Stephen Volstad

Mar 7, 2018

A Study in Gratitude

Everyone who meets Bella the Labrador retriever describes her as always sweet. Her owner, Valerie Maitre of Wilmington, would add another description: always hungry. So it was alarming two years ago when Bella’s appetite suddenly wasn’t as robust as it always had been. Her energy level waned; she just wasn’t herself. Then it got worse.… 

Nov 6, 2017

Courageous Canine Fights Cancer

The Bullmastiff is an imposing breed. Developed by 19th-century English gamekeepers to stand guard over country estates and typically weighing between 110 to 130 pounds, they give any intruder second thoughts. However, as everyone knows, looks can be deceiving. Bullmastiffs are also notably quiet, mild-mannered and, if properly socialized, affectionate, gentle and calm. That is… 

Oct 10, 2017

Cat With Rare Cancer Gets a Helping Hand

With a love for attention and overflowing with affection, Bernice the cat took to her new family — and even strangers — immediately after being adopted at the age of 4. But soon, the domestic shorthair would become something of a medical puzzle, eventually decoded by the skilled clinicians at the NC State Veterinary Hospital. It… 

Sep 13, 2017

More Time for Dexter

Sean New is a busy young man with a job that keeps him hopping, a fiance named Hira and a lively adopted Jack Russell terrier named Dexter. Dexter is the most recent addition to this happy family, but now that they’re together they’re inseparable. When the News were living in Mebane, they talked about getting… 

Aug 1, 2017

One Lucky Dog

Life in Lucky’s world was fine until he developed lameness in his right hind leg. Initial examinations by private veterinarians indicated a possible osteosarcoma: bone cancer... 

May 17, 2017

An Oscar-worthy Performance

Those closest to him would normally look forward to many more years of the pleasure of his company. But all of that comes into question with a diagnosis of cancer... 

Jan 18, 2017

What Can You Learn from a Bearded Dragon?

When Tara Harrison, an assistant professor and a clinician, first saw Kaleb, he was suffering from an undifferentiated sarcoma, a type of cancer that typically affects bones and connective...