Bemian Biesslei, BvN

South Shoie veteiinaiy Caie

SSu 0hukai Ru Ste 1u7
Kihei, BI 967SS

}anuaiy 22, 2u14

To Whom It Nay Concein:
This lettei is in iefeience to the Kihei cane ash situation. I am a veteiinaiian, a speakei anu authoi of the best-
selling pet health book on Amazon.com (!"# %&' ()*+#, -.,/0/)1 2.03#).
Clinically, I am well-acquainteu with the haimful affects of the aeiosol paiticulate emissions iesulting fiom cane
combustion in uomestic animal species baseu on clinical expeiience woiking in, anu owning, a full-seivice veteiinaiy piactice
in Kihei foi the last 11 yeais. This piactice has been voluntaiily accieuiteu by the Ameiican Animal Bospital Association,
which only the top 1S% of all 0S piactices have successfully accomplisheu. Piioi to this, I woikeu in othei locations both in
Bawaii, as Chief Neuical 0fficei at the Bawaii Kai Pet Bospital, anu in New Yoik, as an associate in S uoctoi piactice.
Not only is theie a cleai anu obvious coiielation between the onset as well as woisening of alleigic bionchitis anu
asthma in pets, but heie in Kihei we have alaimingly high cancei iates, paiticulaily in uogs, in compaiison to the estimateu
national aveiages.
We peifoimeu in inteinal auuit of causes of ueath fiom in 2u12 anu 2u1S. Buiing this time theie weie thiee
veteiinaiians woiking at oui piactice. 0ut of 4S uogs that uieu fiom all known oi unknown causes, S8% of these weie
uocumenteu cancei cases. An auuitional 4% weie suspecteu of having cancei, oi hau a mass that may have contiibuteu to the
cause of ueath, although uefinitive uiagnosis was not possible in these cases uue to financial oi ethical constiaints.
Thus between S8 anu 42% of uogs in Kihei succumb to cancei as a cause of ueath.
Accoiuing to the Noiiis Animal Founuation anu the National Canine Cancei Society, it is estimateu that 2S-SS% of
uogs contiact cancei, anu half of them succumb to the uisease as the cause of ueath.
This woulu inuicate that appioximately 12.S-16.S% of all uog ueaths nationally coulu be expecteu to be attiibutable
to cancei.
Theiefoie, heie in Kihei we have appioximately uouble the national canine cancei iates. This also coiiesponus to
my peisonal impiessions ovei the last 17 yeais which incluuing meuical anu suigical caie in uiffeient locations, wheie the
cancei iates weie lowei.
It is paiticulaily inteiesting to note that Kihei is not an uiban locale, anu thus oveiall caicinogen exposuie anu
cancei iates woulu be expecteu to be lowei than uiban aieas aiounu the 0SA.
Inhalation of the wiuely known caicinogens, aiomatic hyuiocaibons, also known as polycyclic hyuiocaibons, the
most notable of which in this case is benzo|alphajpyiene, contiibutes significantly canceis. These aie the veiy constituents
founu in the smoke anu ash ieleaseu by buining sugai cane, which is uepositeu in Kihei (also known as benzo|)jpyiene
http:monogiaphs.iaic.fiENuNonogiaphsvol1uuFmono1uuF-14.puf).
It is likely that these cane smoke caicinogens contiibute to, oi aie the sole cause of, the iathei alaiming canine
cancei iates in Kihei.
Fuitheimoie, it shoulu be taken into account that uogs aie now useu as mouels foi human canceis uue to the uegiee
of similaiity in the uisease between these species. This iaises concein foi humans fiom a public health stanupoint, above anu
beyonu caie foi pets.
Finally, the concept of a cancei "sentinel" shoulu be contemplateu. Epiuemiologic stuuies often ieveal a
phenomenon of inteiest occuiiing in a piemonitoiy, smallei scope spike, piioi to the laigei, moie significant phenomena of
the same vaiiety. Beie, it is likely that the uog is a sentinel species foi human canceis within the next 4 to 6 uecaues in Kihei,
assuming the piesent caicinogen exposuie continues unmitigateu.
I woulu most stiongly auvise, fiom a "one-meuicine" stanupoint, that the legislatois heeu this waining now, anu
take pioactive measuies without uelay, as opposeu to a neai-sighteu, hanus-off appioach to this seiious issue that may iequiie
moie extieme measuies in the futuie.

Sinceiely,
Bemian Biesslei, BvN
Coinell College of veteiinaiy Neuicine, 1997



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