Cyclist rides across the country to battle canine cancer

Ted Schneck, left, and his support team, Nikki Marsh and Ian Pope, take a break from Schneck's charity bike ride across the U.S. (Jeremy Blomstedt/McCook Daily Gazette) [Click to enlarge]

Ted Schneck carries a creased photograph in a clear plastic sleeve on the handlebars of his bicycle. The image is the gentle expression of his golden-maned dog, Marty, whose nearly 17-month fight against cancer ended less than a year ago.

Schneck says that having that picture allows him to bring his dog's spirit and strength along with him on this trip. "Whenever I get tired," Schneck says, "I can look down and see him, and keep going."

Schneck, a former corporate lawyer, has biked 2,127 miles since May 25, and has a couple of thousand more ahead of him before his hoped-for finish on the coast of Virginia on Aug. 14. He and his two-person support staff are attempting to drum up attention and financial support for the cause of curing canine cancer, which is also the title of a book Schneck wrote about his dog's struggle. The book's website, www.curing-canine-cancer.com, sees 15,000 hits a month "from a tiny Google ad," he says, and the people who visit it come from all walks of life who have one tragic thing in common: watching a beloved pet and friend suffering from a life-threatening disease.

"The vet had said that Marty had three to six months to live," Schneck says. He started spending "a thousand dollars a month on treatment," but also sought out nutritionists and animal health experts about his options. It was that education, he credits with his dog's extended survival. "The days after, in that 'bonus' time, felt like a gift," Schneck says. It was after the dog succumbed in August 2007, Schneck wrote his book, which he says on the Web site is "my way to share everything I've learned with other dog owners facing the battle for their dog's lives."

The bike ride is another way for him to reach that group. "The purpose of this," he says, "is to create a focal point for the dog owner community, something that will galvanize them."

He wants to draw specific attention to those owners who are going through the particular pain of caring for a sick animal. Schneck says that while the animals are indeed suffering, the owners also feel the strain -- not only emotionally, but financially as well.

While he could afford to pay the bills to take care of his dog, many others are not as fortunate. Schneck's goal is to raise $100,000, all of which will be distributed by Giving Globally -- an Oregon-based non-profit charitable organization -- to several funds that are set up to help dog owners in need. He also started another Web site, http://www.dogcancerride.com, which features blogs he and his staff write from the road, as well as footage of the trip shot by his videographer Nikki Marsh, secure donation links, and much more.

A major feature of the site is "The Map of Heroes," a special interactive page designed to spark the interest of potential donors.

"For 35 dollars or more," Schneck says, "we will post the picture and story of the donor's dog on the map of the route."

He adds that the dog doesn't have to be ill -- or have passed on -- to be honored. It doesn't even have to be a dog, for that matter: "We do have a cat on there now," his Webmaster-slash-relief driver Ian Pope admits.

Schneck says that he hadn't really ridden a bike in about ten years. "I used to do these 500 mile rides," he says, "and when I decided to do this, I had to take some time to get myself into shape for it."

He talks of pedaling in the summer heat, and admits that comparing riding uphill and down on his bike to his fund-raising effort is an obvious, if apt, one.

"You're pushing hard, going about three miles an hour, and hoping that the top of the hill is really the top of the hill," he says, occasionally glancing at Marty's visage resting on the table top.

"But when you get there," he says with a smile, "you bring the wind with you."