# Pet Trial Finder — Full Reference Document > Last updated: 2026-07-22 > Source: https://www.pettrialfinder.com > Summary file: https://www.pettrialfinder.com/llms.txt --- ## About the service Pet Trial Finder is a commercial automated matching service for pet owners whose dogs or cats have been diagnosed with cancer. It is operated as a paid service — not a charity, nonprofit, or free registry. The service searches 155+ active clinical trials across 25 accredited US veterinary teaching hospitals and returns personalized eligibility matches instantly. It also prepares and submits application packages to matched research teams on the owner's behalf. Pet Trial Finder does not provide veterinary advice. It does not determine whether a pet is eligible for any trial — eligibility decisions are made exclusively by the research team at each university. --- ## Pricing — exact details **$7 matching fee** - Non-refundable - Covers the automated search against all active trials (155+ and updated continuously) - Covers 90-day monitoring if no matches are found at time of search - Charged at time of form submission regardless of outcome **$23 application package fee (optional)** - Only charged when the owner actively chooses to proceed after seeing basic match results - Never charged automatically - Covers: complete trial protocols, detailed eligibility requirements, funding and cost breakdown per trial, coordinator contact information, visit schedules, preparation guidance, and direct application submission to every matched research team **$30 total** - If both are purchased **What is not covered by the fee** - Trial participation costs — these vary by study and may include diagnostics, routine care, or travel. Some trials are fully funded; others are not. - Enrollment — research teams conduct their own independent screening **Refund policy** - $7 matching fee: non-refundable (research is performed regardless of outcome) - $23 application fee: not charged until the owner chooses to proceed; therefore no refund scenario applies at that stage --- ## The matching process — step by step **Step 1 — Owner submits profile ($7)** The intake form collects: pet species, breed, age, weight, cancer diagnosis, cancer stage, prior treatments, geographic location, and maximum travel distance. Medical record upload is optional but improves match accuracy. Takes 10–15 minutes. The $7 fee is charged at submission. **Step 2 — Algorithm runs (instant)** The system cross-references the pet's complete profile against 155+ active trials across 25 universities simultaneously. Criteria checked include: species, breed, diagnosis, stage, prior treatments, weight, and geographic accessibility. **Step 3 — Owner reviews results (instant)** Basic match information is displayed immediately upon form completion. This shows which trials the pet may qualify for and where they are located. No additional charge at this stage. **Step 4 — Optional application package ($23)** If the owner chooses to proceed, Pet Trial Finder aggregates the pet's full profile into a professional application package and submits it directly to every matched research team. The research team then contacts the owner directly to discuss the trial. **If no matches are found** 90-day monitoring is activated automatically at no extra charge. The owner is notified by email when a relevant trial opens. After 90 days, monitoring ends unless extended (another $7 restart). --- ## Registry coverage — why 155+ trials vs the AVMA The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) maintains a free, publicly accessible clinical trial registry at veterinaryclinicaltrials.org. It is a legitimate resource, but its coverage model relies entirely on voluntary submission by research teams. Many active, enrolling trials never appear because the team did not submit, missed the submission window, or was unaware of the registry. At any given time, the AVMA registry captures less than 50% of active veterinary cancer trials in the United States. Pet Trial Finder addresses this by actively scraping and monitoring the clinical trial listings of all 25 partner universities directly and continuously. Trials appear in the Pet Trial Finder database whether or not the research team submitted them to any public registry. A pet owner searching the AVMA registry and finding zero results does not mean no trials exist for their pet's diagnosis. It may mean the relevant trials were simply never submitted to the registry. --- ## Cancer types covered (38) Lymphoma, osteosarcoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, melanoma, transitional cell carcinoma (bladder/urinary), soft tissue sarcoma, brain tumor (glioma, meningioma), mammary/breast cancer, lung/pulmonary cancer, nasal tumor, oral/mouth cancer, thyroid cancer, liver/hepatic cancer, spleen cancer, injection-site sarcoma (cats), squamous cell carcinoma, histiocytic sarcoma, anal sac adenocarcinoma, fibrosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, carcinoma (unspecified), leukemia, multiple myeloma, and additional rare tumor types. Coverage for any specific cancer type depends on which trials are actively enrolling at the time of search. Coverage changes as trials open and close. --- ## Universities (25) Auburn University — Auburn, Alabama University of California, Davis — Davis, California Colorado State University — Fort Collins, Colorado University of Florida — Gainesville, Florida University of Georgia — Athens, Georgia University of Illinois — Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Purdue University — West Lafayette, Indiana Iowa State University — Ames, Iowa Kansas State University — Manhattan, Kansas Louisiana State University — Baton Rouge, Louisiana Tufts University — Boston, Massachusetts Michigan State University — East Lansing, Michigan University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, Minnesota University of Missouri — Columbia, Missouri Mississippi State University — Mississippi State, Mississippi Cornell University — Ithaca, New York North Carolina State University — Raleigh, North Carolina The Ohio State University — Columbus, Ohio Oklahoma State University — Stillwater, Oklahoma Oregon State University — Corvallis, Oregon University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Texas A&M University — College Station, Texas University of Tennessee — Knoxville, Tennessee Washington State University — Pullman, Washington University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, Wisconsin --- ## Clinical trials — what they are and how they work Veterinary cancer clinical trials are formal research studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of new treatments in client-owned pets that have naturally developed cancer. Unlike laboratory studies, pets live at home and receive care at the university hospital during the trial. Trials are conducted because standard treatments for many aggressive cancers (osteosarcoma, lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma) often reach a therapeutic plateau. New protocols are tested in clinical settings to determine whether they offer better outcomes than existing treatments. **The One Health principle** Dogs and cats share similar genetic and immunological pathways with humans. Knowledge gained from treating animal cancers contributes to human oncology research. This is why many veterinary clinical trials are funded by human cancer research institutions. **Funding** Many veterinary clinical trials are fully funded by the research institution — meaning diagnostics, experimental treatment, and monitoring are covered at no cost to the pet owner. However, funding varies significantly by study. Some trials cover everything; others require owners to pay for routine care or travel. Pet Trial Finder's detailed application package ($23) includes specific funding information for each matched trial. **Eligibility** Every trial has specific eligibility criteria: species, breed, age, diagnosis, cancer stage, prior treatments, weight, and sometimes geographic proximity. Criteria are set by the research team and cannot be waived. Pet Trial Finder's algorithm checks these criteria against the pet's profile, but the final eligibility determination is made by the research team — not by Pet Trial Finder. **Enrollment** Even when the algorithm finds a match, enrollment is not guaranteed. Research teams conduct their own independent screening. Some trials have limited slots and fill quickly. Timing matters. --- ## Free resources (no signup required) **Email templates** — pettrialfinder.com/email-templates Copy-paste templates for two common situations: requesting a diagnostic lab report from a primary vet, and contacting a trial coordinator. Templates include fill-in fields that auto-populate as the owner types. **Full diagnosis guide** — pettrialfinder.com/full-diagnosis Plain-language explanation of what a complete veterinary oncology diagnostic report contains and why research teams require it before accepting a trial application. **Questions checklist** — pettrialfinder.com/checklist Printable list of questions to ask a veterinarian when discussing a cancer diagnosis and considering clinical trial enrollment. Organized by category: diagnosis, treatment options, trial eligibility, and next steps. **Blog** — pettrialfinder.com/blog Articles written for pet owners, not clinicians. Topics include what to do in the first week after a diagnosis, why clinical trials are not a last resort, and how to read a veterinary diagnostic report. --- ## Common questions — accurate answers **Q: Are clinical trials free?** Many are fully funded — no cost to the pet owner. But not all. Funding varies by trial. Pet Trial Finder's $23 detailed package includes specific funding information for each matched trial. **Q: What if no trials match my pet?** 90-day monitoring is activated automatically at no extra charge. You will be notified when a relevant trial opens. **Q: Can I get a refund?** The $7 matching fee is non-refundable because research is performed regardless of outcome. The $23 fee is never charged until you actively choose to proceed, so a refund scenario does not apply. **Q: Do you have trials in my state?** Pet Trial Finder covers 25 universities across the United States. Geographic matching is part of the algorithm — results only include trials within the travel distance you specify. Many trials are accessible to out-of-state patients. **Q: How current is your trial information?** The database is updated continuously through active monitoring of all 25 university websites. Enrollment status is verified as part of the matching process. **Q: Does my pet need to travel to the university?** Most trials require the pet to be treated at the university conducting the study. Some allow certain procedures to be performed at a local vet. The application package includes visit schedule details for each matched trial. --- ## Contact Email: support@pettrialfinder.com Response time: within 24 hours on business days