North Jersey Woman Training Dogs To Detect Cancer, Comfort Kids

WYCKOFF, NJ – Janice Wolfe is training dogs to do incredible things — like detect cancer before doctors can.

The township resident has been around dogs ever since she was a child. She started working with Rhodesian Ridgebacks after she got Willow, and her children, including Wyatt.

“I noticed that these incredible dogs had a unique sense. They know when your sick and they were honing in on cancer and other diseases,” Wolfe said. “These dogs are absolutely amazing at finding things.”

A Rhodesian Ridgeback is a sensory dog and very good at detecting very small traces of substances, including diseases, that humans and even medical devices cannot detect, similar to a Bloodhound. They are affectionate and very even-tempered animals.

One day a few years ago, Wyatt began going to a certain spot on Wolfe’s body. He would jab his nose into the spot. Wolfe went to the doctor and was amazed by what she was told.

“I had adenocarcinoma. It was the smallest tumor sample they’d ever seen,” Wolfe said. “It was so tiny, it wasn’t even be like a pimple on the skin. Wyatt found that.”

Wolfe receives samples from doctors from across the country and has her dogs test them to see if they could potentially be positive for cancer.

Wolfe is the founder of Merlin’s Kids, a non-profit that rescues shelter dogs and trains them to be service dogs for children suffering form mobility problems, seizures, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The organization even trains dogs to work with kids who need to testify in court.

Wyatt will also compete in the 140th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show next week at Madison Square Garden.

“These dogs, they’re the loves of my life,” Wolfe said.

PHOTO: Janice Wolfe and Wyatt/Courtesy of Janice Wolfe