Banjo the Dog Fights Cancer, is Adorable

Move over, Uggie (though congrats about the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre thing). FiPS just alerted us to the fact that Park Slope’s got a canine media darling of its own — and unlike Uggie, who’s lovable-for-hire, Banjo is mugging for a good cause.

Using his main cancer-fighiting weapon, cuteness, the wiry terrier-ish mutt just starred in a Relay for Life fundraising video — a collaboration with his cancer-surviving owner, Garland Harwood. But while the results have catapulted him to viral fame (he was featured on the all cute, all the time site I Can Has Cheezburger), Banjo is serious.

And so far, that commitment has paid off. By vowing to swear off his three favorite activities (one involves squirrels) until Harwood met his $2,000 goal, Banjo’s helped raise more than $4,000 for the American Cancer Society.

(A takeaway here: if you’re raising money for something, it’s important to be dedicated, but it’s probably better if you’re also adorable, and maybe a dog.)

Banjo may be back in the squirrel-chasing game, but that doesn’t mean the fight is over. You can still help Garland Harwood give back to the organization that saw him through his own illness by donating here.