Radon is the #1 cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers and the #2 cause of lung cancer worldwide for people, but did you know that your two-legged family members are not the only ones who could suffer from the health hazards of radon gas? Family pets can also be subject to lung cancer and shortened life span from elevated radon in the home.

In a recent story out of Brookfield, Wisconsin, dog-lover Tammy Schultz discusses losing two dogs within five months of each other to cancer. Although the cause of their cancer is unknown, radon and contaminated water are two of the possible culprits mentioned. Shultz was chosen out of thousands of applicants for an adventure trip from Pet Supplies Plus, and plans to travel with her new golden retriever to meet animal activists and visit various foundations.

In one of our Voices of Lung Cancer Stories, Susan McCormick tells of her dog’s cancer diagnosis, and how that was finally the push that she needed discover the reason behind her own unexplained lung cancer diagnosis. When she tested her home, she found that she and her pet had been breathing air with a radon level five times above the EPA’s highest acceptable limit. She also found that her home was located in an area of the country known as “Radon Ridge.”

Still, despite the high radon levels in Susan’s home city of Portland, OR, many of her neighbors did not know of the health threat that radon poses to them and the other residents of their homes. Having a radon professional test your home is the only way to know for certain if you, your family, and your pets are safe from radon gas.