We would like to tell you a bit more about the origins and goals of the Belgian Cancer Fund for Animals.
It all started with the treatment and the unfortunate passing of Spike, the Jack Russell of Dante and Elly (read more about it in 'Spike's History'). About a year after the loss of their beloved dog, Dante and Elly came up with the idea to establish a Belgian Cancer Fund for Animals, inspired by a similar initiative in the Netherlands.

The goal was clear and broad: to create a fund that would support cancer research in animals and other related projects, such as an informative website, a cancer registry, and the education of students and veterinarians. Of course, such an initiative is only possible with the dedication of passionate collaborators and numerous volunteers.

On March 3rd, 2012, the organization was officially founded by notarial deed by Dante & Elly Bergamo, Tom Hendrickx, Ann Drieskens, Wim Vrancken, Claudio & Roberto Bergamo, and Jeroen Kuyken.

In the early years, various fundraising activities were organized to gather much-needed financial support: dog walks in the green nature around Lommel – the home base of Elly & Dante – dinner events, music nights, and family quizzes. These funds were necessary to cover operating costs, such as the development of a website, advertising, and more. This eventually led to the sponsorship of a first research project by Laetitia Cicchelero at Ghent University (see link in Projects), as well as a sub-study at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Liège (see link in Projects).
The Belgian Cancer Fund for Animals strives to support research that is “close to the animal,” meaning research that may soon benefit animals with cancer whether through improved or faster diagnostics or through innovative treatment options.

A major milestone was the investment in the ONCOWAF website, developed by Laetitia Cicchelero. You can read all about it on our Medical Info page.

Behind the scenes, the work on expanding the Belgian Cancer Fund for Animals has continued steadily. New team members and board members have contributed significantly — administratively, financially, and scientifically. Every day, we continue building this professional fund to support animals with cancer, their owners, and driven researchers. This last group faces more and more often the challenge of ever-increasing research costs. If the BKFD can support them from the very early stages, then together – sooner or later – we will reach our goals!