UPDATE 1-22-2012—

Well, where do I begin? I always made sure Sadie, my Great Dane, had her yearly inoculations and regular exams from her vet. If anything suspicious came up, it was another visit to the vets. She is ten years old and the only thing wrong with her is she has slight hip dysplasia. One week before Thanksgiving of 2011 my Sadie girl went to sit on the sofa as she usually does. She slid to the floor with such a resigned expression of "oh well I might just as well stay here" She finally made it to her destination. The next evening I noticed her back right leg, just below her hock, was slightly swollen. I assumed she must have sprained a muscle even though she never cried out or whimpered the night before. She has always been very stoic. I applied the usual ice & heat treatment thinking this would be the answer. Some swelling did go down but I noticed the remaining was hard. I was puzzled. After not having any more success it was time to have a visit to her vets.

Two weeks before Christmas, after our vet visit, the vet said it could be a couple of different things . One was a cancer, the second an infection from valley fever. We live in Arizona so this was not out of the ordinary. Sadie was taken to get her blood work done and some x-rays were taken. We came back in two hours to pick her up and get the test results. We were taken in the back to have a look at the x-rays. Our vet showed us where Sadie’s injury was and explained that an osteosarcoma (bone cancer) did not spread to the next joint. Then she showed us the three lesions in her lungs. The cancer had already metastasized. I felt like I had been hit. I just started sobbing. No, not my precious baby girl, it can’t be. Not cancer. At this same time I was confined to a wheelchair because of a back injury. If only I had been more diligent I thought I would have noticed. (Big time guilt going on here). We went back into the exam room and I had to control the tears. The vet, Erika, explained in more detail the results of the tests. Sadie’s prognosis was not good. She has three to four months left to live, maybe a little more. We had two options. The first was to put Sadie on pain medication to control her pain. The second was to remove her appendage to lessen her pain. Chemo was mentioned as well. Pain medication was to be given in increments as necessary to control her discomfort. We, (her daddy and I ) decided to opt for pain medication and leave her leg attached. We could not afford the surgery so we didn’t have much choice. Chemo was totally out of the question. One reason is we cannot financially afford it. The second reason was why prolong Sadie’s life for only a couple of months (which would make her sick from the treatments) to deter our misery. We love our baby girl too much to see her suffer needlessly for our selfish needs.

As the weeks progressed so did Sadie’s growth. It grew to thirteen and one half inches around. You could see the pain in her lovely brown eyes even on the pain medication now. There was no other alternative, she needed the operation. The tears start to fall again as I tell you this. There is no greater unconditional love than that of our pets. They do not see our faults.

Thanks to Canine Cancer Awareness Inc., Sadie was approved for her monetary contribution for her surgery to get her leg amputated. She had her surgery on January 21, 2012. Everything went fine. We went to visit her when she was out of recovery. We brought her home the next day. Every time I look at that ugly scar on her leg, it is a reminder that that ugly disease invaded our lives. I cry and my lovely lady puts per paw on my hand to comfort me. She has always done this whenever I have gotten upset or was ill. How will I get along without her. She has been by my side since eleven weeks old. My constant companion. She loves to go for car rides and greets everyone like a long lost friend. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her. She is so loving. I will be stoic for her now. I will dry my tears and cherish every day we have left. Again thank you http://www.caninecancerawareness.org

— Lois and Adrien

The CCA Board of Directors has allocated $1000 to help pay the costs of Sadie’s treatments. Please help Sadie receive the treatment that she needs. Any sponsor donations made on behalf of Sadie will be used to pay unpaid invoices and the checks will be sent directly to Sadie’s vet.

To help sponsor treatment, you can click on the PayPal donate button below or send a check to:

Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc.
44 Devoe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

DONATIONS FOR SADIE:

UPDATE 10-29-2011—

My Angel, Paddington Bear was 15 1/2 years old. We rescued him from a high kill shelter in Georgia 1 1/2 years ago after I found his beautiful face on Facebook with only 24 hours left before they stuffed him into their disgusting gas chamber box. (Georgia has awful standards in their animal service system). When he arrived at the end of his long transport, he looked like he was already dead with stinky, oozing green goo coming from his ears, so much extra weight that he could barely walk and the stress level that would kill a cow. After much love, a fabulous diet, exercise and playtime with the rest of our pack, Paddington became the incredible creature he was meant to be. We loved him more than any dog that has ever crossed our paths (shhhhh, I don’t want the others to hear that! Haha).

Unfortunately, his long previous life of obvious mistreatment go the better of his old bones and cancer took over his hind quarters. Paddington had bone cancer that ate away at his back end leaving him unable to walk. He fell while attempting to retrieve his ball and fractured his hip. His knees were already shot and surgery was not an option since he would simply not be able to recover. We made the decision to let him go and he left us as he always will remain in our minds…with his ball in his mouth. We have rescued and rehomed over 35 dogs in the last 5 years but this one hit us and hit us hard. We will miss him forever.

Miss Molly was 17 1/2 years old when she passed. I rescued her over 12 years ago from a shelter in Bradenton, FL. She was an abuse case and her abusers had dumped her there when they no longer found a use for her and a mess she was. Since then, she grew to know love and trust and has been a loyal companion for me throughout the rest of her life and was the “warden” for the rest of the pack. Though the smallest of the crew, she was the feistiest and let me tell you, when Molly growled her peace, the others listened! She was always very uptight and wouldn’t relax unless I was holding her on my lap. I believe the years of maintaining her snotty state of mind caused the Cancer that consumed her little body. She had degenerative back disease and arthritis as well but damn if this dog didn’t continue to run the show! She awoke on Wednesday morning in the place she always was and we knew it was time. Miss Molly had cancer on her skin, and throughout her little body. Her last day with us, the cancer took over the area behind her eyes and she was in pain…..so the decision was made. Her eyes were different and the vet said it was the cancer behind them that was taking her to a bad place. We called our home vet and decided to let them go together. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do. Molly looked more peaceful in her little coffin than I had ever seen her look. She was finally free.

We lost both of our babies within minutes of each other in our home with the help of the ever so compassionate Dr. Dani McVety. They left us feeling loved and in our arms. We will miss them everyday, every minute and every second.

— Sheri-lyn

UPDATE 6-30-2011—

On April 25th 2011 (my birthday), Jake was diagnosed with bone cancer in his tibia. Previously he had been being treated for hip dysplasia with laser therapy. On Saturday the 23rd I noticed he was really limping and thought it was his hips. He goes to daycare at the vet hosp so I asked them to check him out. Call back, bone cancer, advanced. No cancer in lungs but recommended amputation or it would fracture within days and I would have to put him down. Had the surgery 2 days later. The vet hospital was nice enough to keep Jake a little longer than normal since it would have been difficult for me to take care of him and my 4 ½ year old until he was in a little better shape. On the day I went to bring him home he was so excited, even in his state, that it broke my heart that he could still be so happy! He tried to run to the car and the nurse didn’t have a good hold of his sling and he managed to get out of the sling and dragged his remaining back foot across the concrete tearing the paw pads clear off his foot. Since this was the only remaining foot he had in the back, back to the hospital he went because he was unable to put any weight on it, therefore was unable to walk even with my help. He had to wear a boot for a month. More problems to come. Incision kept coming open, had to be re-sutured 8 times! On 6/29 he finally got his stitches and stents removed for the incision has closed. He now has to learn to walk on 3 legs. He is 2 months behind but I know he can do it!! The Cone of Shame and his sling days are soon to end. I feel so bad for him but he is still so happy! I think the trauma is mine not his! He has had two rounds of chemo and I have him on a list of holistic remedies. His first round of blood work came back excellent. I am hoping for a miracle. If I have a year I will be happy (ish). Jakey is such an important part of my life and my 4 1/2 year olds. I can’t imagine life without him. I can’t say thank you enough to the folks at the Canine Cancer Awareness group and all of the other support groups I have found for dogs with cancer and “TriPawds.” It helps to talk.

STAY POSITIVE FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR DOG!! YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS HIM MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE ON HOW HE RESPONDS. A HAPPY DOG CAN FIGHT THE CANCER BETTER THAN A SAD, DEPRESSED ONE. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE OF THE CANCER IS YOURS NOT THE DOGS. CHIN UP!

— Kelly

The CCA Board of Directors has allocated $1000 to help pay the costs of Jake’s treatments. Please help Jake continue to fight this disease. Any sponsor donations made on behalf of Jake will be used to pay unpaid invoices and the checks will be sent directly to Jake’s vet.

To help sponsor treatment, you can click on the PayPal donate button below or send a check to:

Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc.
44 Devoe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

DONATIONS FOR JAKE:

UPDATE 5-13-2011—

Everyone, please meet Silvio! He is my 3 year old Pit Bull who has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer). Silvio has been the love of my life since he was 7 weeks old. Here is Silvio’s story:

March 15, 2011— A lump was noticed in Silvio’s left shoulder. I made an appointment with his vet (Dr. Berg/Animal Care Center) to have the lump examined. I was informed by his doctor that this was probably a cancerous tumor. I was absolutely devastated for Silvio.

March 17, 2011— A biopsy was done on the mass and it was confirmed that Silvio’s mass was an active sarcoma. It was cancer. Dr. Berg explained that surgery would have to be done and that he would try to remove only the mass and part of the muscle, but most likely Silvio would need to have his front left leg amputated to fully remove the mass and to ease his pain.

March 25, 2011— Silvio had a surgery/amputation of his front left leg to remove the mass. What we thought was an egg-sized mass actually turned out to be a billiard ball sized mass. Dr. Berg explained to me that the mass was lifting and separating Silvio’s shoulder as he moved, and that the amputation was the only way to remove the mass and ease his pain. Removing just the mass and a portion of the muscle was not an option because of the size and location of the mass.

Silvio had his surgery at:
Animal Care Center
7 Enterprise Drive
Danville, PA 17821
(570) 275-6064
Dr. Ken Berg (Silvio’s regular vet and surgeon)

April 8, 2011— Silvio was re-examined and had his staples removed. Dr. Berg recommended chemo, and that I get Silvio started with his chemo treatments as soon as possible. We set an appointment up with Dr. Jeglum at the Veterinary Oncology Services and Research Center for April 18, 2011!

Silvio needs 2 different chemo medicines (Adriamycin and Cisplatin), they will alternate each treatment and he’ll have 6 treatments total (3 of each medicine). The treatments will be about 3 weeks apart. He’ll also have to have blood work (CBC tests) done 7-10 days after each treatment to make sure his red/white blood cell count is normal. Silvio has already had 1 Adriamycin treatment and 1 Cisplatin treatment.

April 18, 2011— Silvio had his very 1st Adriamycin chemo treatment. Silvio handled this treatment very well with VERY little side effects. He had no nausea, and just slight fatigue.

May 3, 2011— Silvio celebrated his 3rd birthday!!!

May 10, 2011— Silvio received his 1st Cisplatin treatment (this is his 2nd chemo treatment out of the 6 total that he needs). This treatment is harder on Silvio than the Adriamycin treatments. Silvio is very tired and week after receiving the Cisplatin medicine.

I’m doing everything in my power to give Silvio the happiest and healthiest life that he could possibly have! He really means the world to me and to the rest of my family. Silvio is considered my child, a nephew, cousin and Granddog to other family members. Please help us to help him fight and beat his cancer!

Silvio is being treated at these 2 veterinarians:

Veterinary Oncology Services and Research Center
Dr. K Ann Jeglum
739 E. Nields Street
West Chester, PA 19382
(610) 692-6272

And

Animal Care Center
Dr. Ken Berg
7 Enterprise Drive
Danville, PA 17821
(570) 275-6064

Thank you,
— Cassandra (Silvio’s Mom)

Update 5-18-2011—

I will not be taking advantage of the $1,000 your organization had offered us for Silvio’s cancer treatments. I am heartbroken and saddened to have to tell you that I had to say goodbye to my little Silvio. He was doing so well until this past week. He began to have excruciating pain. I took him to our Vet for Xrays and more blood work. Dr. Berg found another mass growing back, and Xrays showed that the cancer has spread to Silvio’s chest. Silvio was now suffering. We could have done radiation to lessen his pain but it wouldn’t change my baby’s fate, it would only prolong it. It would have been extremely selfish of me to put him through that, for just a little more time. My friends and family came over yesterday to spend the day with us and to say goodbye to Silvio. Even Silvio’s 2 Chihuahua friends came to see him. He had a pretty good day compared to the last week. I wanted to let him go on a good note and when he was feeling the best that he possibly could. I believe I did that. Last night I stayed with Silvio until he was gone. He was ready to go. I could see it in his eyes. He could barely move, and he cried every time that he did. I’m so heartbroken, but I’m comforted in knowing that he isn’t in anymore pain and that cancer can’t hurt him anymore. I loved this little boy more than I’ve ever loved anything.

Please award this $1,000 to another family in need! I appreciate that you were willing to help us, I’m saddened that we couldn’t get that far.

Sincerely,
— Cassandra

CCA allocated $1000 to help pay the costs of Silvio’s treatments. We are deeply saddened by Silvio’s passing. In Silvio’s name, these funds will now go to other families in need fighting canine cancer.

To donate in Silvio’s name, you can click on the PayPal donate button below or send a check to:

Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc.
44 Devoe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

UPDATE 5-12-2011—

I know this is a long-winded recollection of a story of a girl and her dog, but bear with me. I don’t know how else to express what Canine Cancer Awareness means to me without starting from the top. Here goes (got the Kleenex box next to me and ready to go)…

I grew up in a household that ALWAYS had dogs, they were part of the family and were loved equally (and on some days, more) than the children. When I went away to college, it was hard to get used to opening my front door and NOT getting greeted by a happy pup violently wagging a tail that was sure to knock over everything not glued down to the end table. After graduation, I saved up and got my first apartment and started a business, but never quite got used to the empty house. Getting a dog was always in the back of my mind, but the pet deposits, vet bills and food costs kept me away from the pet adoptions for a couple of years because I didn’t want to get in over my head and not be able to properly care for my dog. Eventually, as my business grew, I decided I could almost afford an “apartment-sized” dog and went in search of a companion at local shelters.

One Saturday afternoon in March of 2005, I drove past a PetSmart adoption and decided to pull over and take a look. After peaking in crate after crate of LOUD dogs (not apartment material), I came to a shy, BEAUTIFUL St. Bernard/Great Pyranese mix named “Dutchess.” I was instantly drawn to her big, sad brown eyes, but my next thought was this dog is DEFINITELY not apartment material. She was a mere 80 lbs. at less than a year old, and had plenty of growing to do. I sat down to pet her anyways and she promptly put one paw on each of my shoulders and “hugged” me until we both tipped over onto the sidewalk, very reminiscent of a drunken take-down hug from the sorority sisters of my college days. That was it, I was in love. The adoption sponsors came over to see what was going on and I reluctantly explained that as much as I’d love to adopt her, she was too big for a single woman in an apartment. Much to my surprise they replied, “Are you kidding, this dog is a furry speed bump, and doesn’t need nearly the space of an active lab or golden, plus she’s full-grown” (which was a lie, both her parents were 150+ lbs. and despite being the runt, she’s grown to reach a fluffy 130 lbs. of love). That was all I needed to hear.

I called my mom, a forever dog lover, and the conversation went something like this:

Devon: “Would you think I was crazy if I adopted a St. Bernard mix?”

[Insert long period of dead silence on the other end of the phone].

Mom (eventually): “Mixed with WHAT?”

Devon: “Um, a Great Pyranese.”

[Long pause #2]

Mom: Ahahahahahahahahahah! Yes, I would think you were crazy.

[Click].

So, knowing that my parents would be instrumental in puppy sitting when I was traveling and would need to be supportive of my doggie decision, I gave “Dutchess” another “hug” and went on my way. I thought about her all afternoon and after a few days, called Mom again and said:

Devon: “You know how you said I was crazy? How crazy?”

Mom: “Extremely. Have you fallen in love with a dog you can’t have?

Devon: “Maybe.”

Mom: “Why are you calling me?”

Devon: “I want to go visit her at her kennel and see if she’s still available, and since you’ve always said any dog I got would be staying at your house sometimes and would have to get along with your dogs, you and “Clancy” have to come with me.

Mom: “When?”

Devon: “Tomorrow.”

[Click.]

Mom could hear in my voice that I was serious. Like mother, like daughter, I’d caught the dog bug and this wasn’t something that was going to go away. The next day, Mom and I hopped in dad’s SUV that she’d borrowed for the day, knowing good and well that—knowing me—we were probably not just going for a “visit” and that we needed the big car, you know, St. Pyra-nard sized.

We arrived at the kennel and the owner asked us to wait inside the fenced area and that she’d bring Dutchess out to see us. After a minute or two, we saw a fuzzy little shy head peak around the corner. Mom said “Oh, what a pretty girl.” [This is when I knew our visit was going well, mom might actually be on-board.] I called to Dutchess and she looked at me, looked a little confused, and then bolted across the yard and gave me an even bigger hug than she had the past weekend that can only be described as a tackle. I like to think that she’d been thinking about me all week, too. Mom stuck out her hand to help me up and said, “A BIG girl, but a pretty girl. I guess you just got yourself a dog.”

As we filled out the paperwork, the usually shy and calm Dutchess proceeded to run around the office, jumping from desk to desk clearing every surface of it’s contents. Mom gave me the “Are you sure about this?” look and the kennel owner, who had been fostering Dutchess for months said, “I’ve never seen her like this. She knows she’s going home.” I signed on the line and we were off! As we were driving home, I spent the hour-long drive smiling from ear to ear while mom spent it laughing because she had a St. Bernard earnestly trying to smell her hair spray all the way home.

Over the next couple of days, Dutchess in her true “furry speedbump” fashion took her series of daily naps in every room of my apartment, testing it all out to find her favorite dark corners, preferably under an AC vent. If I tried to take her for too long of a walk, she would just lay down and refuse to move until she was good and ready. This was usually about 100 yards into our “walk.” She truly was the perfect apartment dog, except for one part: she wasn’t used to narrow apartment doorways and staircases. In addition to her nap explorations, she also spent her first couple of days in her new home running into about every doorframe and stationary object in my apartment. This dog definitely didn’t deserve a name as dainty as Dutchess. Every time I heard a BOOOM from the other room, yelling out “DUUUUUTCHESSSS” just seemed silly. We needed a new name, she didn’t know or respond to Dutchess anyways. My sister and I set out to pick the perfect new name and flipped through books and magazines in front of the TV one night looking for the perfect fit. We came across an ad for a charity gala called “A Stellar Event.” We both looked at each other, and in true “Streetcar Named Desire” fashion, yelled “STEEELLLLLLAAAA.” Dutchess came running in from the other room and hit the ottoman at about 45 mph. Yep. Perfect fit.

Fast-forward about 5 glorious years. I’d moved into a house with my sister. She also got the dog bug and adopted a furry monster of a puppy named Beckett that had become a great playmate for Stella, as long as he was okay with playing for 4-5 minutes MAX before it was time for a group nap. After one of their play sessions, Stella starting limping a little on one of her front paws. I took notice of it but chocked it up to another run-in with a wall and went about my day. After a week when it hadn’t gone away, we went to see Stella’s vet, who guessed it was just the first signs of arthritis and probably nothing that a little glucosamine couldn’t fix, but we decided to do x-rays just in case. On one of the films, we found a suspicious spot on her front left leg bone. The vet told us that in the worst case, it might be bone cancer and my mind went into a blur where I only heard every other word. Blah blah cancer, blah blah amputation, blah blah blah chemo. We scheduled a biopsy for the next week, ironically on Stella’s 6th birthday, and cried all the way home. I had a bad feeling, call it a mother’s intuition.

A few days after her biopsy I was sitting at lunch with my parents and sister, who had all fallen in love with Stella just as much as I had, when the vet called with the test results. In a very matter-of-fact voice he said, “Yes, it is cancer like we suspected and there are two paths we can take.” Do nothing and we’d have about 4 very hard months with her before the cancer spread through her body and we’d have to put her down. The other option was amputation followed by chemotherapy. My heart dropped and I didn’t hear anything the vet was saying for what seemed like minutes. I tuned back in right as he was explaining that treatment would give me, on average, about 12-15 more months with her. As much as I love the restaurant where we were having lunch, I fear I’ll never be able to go back due not only to the bad memories that patio now holds for me, but because when I heard that bit of news, I promptly bolted out back and threw up in their parking lot. Pardon the unpleasant mental picture, but I’d just been told I was losing my speedbump and the world came to an end. I was literally stunned. I had assumed that amputation and chemo was a fix. The end. Problem solved. Healthy, happy tripawd. 12-15 months?? I hung up with the vet, told him I’d call back when I could form words again, and I spent the next 10 minutes in a group hug with my family, all of us in tears, mom with as many running down her face as me.

I knew I had a decision to make, only there was no decision at all. I knew what I needed to do—four months was just not an option—but I also knew it was going to be terribly expensive. I’d shopped around pet insurance but put it on the back burner because money was tight and Stella was only 5 years old. Hindsight is 20/20. Over the years, the economy took a turn and while I was able to keep my business open, we weren’t making money, and were struggling to stay afloat. When mom dropped me back at my office that day, she hugged me and said, “We’ll figure it out.” I was grateful for that, but knew that inside, even as she spoke the words, she wasn’t sure how either. The family dog, Clancy, has had a variety of health issues over the years, including his own bout with cancer, 2 surgeries and a very expensive special diet. My dad is a custom homebuilder and it’s no surprise in the current building market that he hasn’t built a house in over 3 years and money was way past tight. They were having a tough time but just like they had done in the past with Clancy, “we’d figure it out.”

We scheduled Stella’s surgery for the following week, and the days leading up to it were the hardest of my life. I didn’t know what to expect from a 3-legged dog, especially a three-legged Stella, she wasn’t exactly svelte on 4 legs. Every chance I got, I’d let Stella tackle-hug me and we’d roll on the floor with tears running down my face because I wasn’t sure if it was the last hug I’d get from her. Can a dog who’s missing a front leg give a hug? The evening before her surgery, I took her for what I thought would be our last walk ever and I bawled all the way down the street and back. I’m sure my neighbors thought I was loosing it. Turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong. We had a couple of tricky days after her surgery, but Stella definitely coped with it much better than I did. She was hopping herself outside to do her business after only a couple of days. After a week, she was taking the stairs 3 or 4 at a time. I was worried that my beautiful dog who always attracted crowds of people when we went out, would have a huge scar that would scare people away. It did a little at first, but I actually think she’s cuter than ever when her big ears flop as she hops around the yard. She gets even more love from strangers when we’re out and about. Apparently 3-legged dogs are really in right now.

I was able to pull together enough money to cover Stella’s xrays, mom put $400 of the $700 biopsy on her credit card and we somehow managed to scrounge around and find enough to pay for her surgery. Just when I thought we might be able to do it all, I got the estimate for her chemotherapy. Another $3,000. How on EARTH were we going to find another $3,000 in a few short weeks? Thankfully, my mom spent the week after Stella’s surgery doing research on osteosarcomas and found the website for Canine Caner Awareness. She forwarded me the application and said, “They probably get tons of applications, but it’s worth a shot. Any little bit would help.” After sending in the application, I was shocked when I got the email that Stella’s application had be accepted and that we’d be getting tremendous help in the form of $1,000 to apply to her chemo bills. It was such a weight lifted off my back knowing that I could continue to get Stella the treatment she needed and deserved after the years of happiness she’d brought to all of us. When I got home that day, I think Stella knew too. I walked in the door and as started to bend over to pet her, a fuzzy paw went up on my shoulder, wrapped around my neck and we hit the floor, where we stayed for a least 10 minutes. If you hadn’t guessed by now, I cried.

Thanks again for giving me many more tackle-hugs from my furry speedbump. Every one is priceless and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

— Devon and Stella

The Board of Directors of Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc. has allocated $1000 to help pay the costs of Stella’s treatments. Please help Stella continue her treatments. Any sponsor donations made on behalf of Stella will be used to pay unpaid invoices and the checks will be sent directly to Stella’s vet.

To help sponsor treatment, you can click on the PayPal donate button below or send a check to:

Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc.
44 Devoe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

DONATIONS FOR STELLA:

UPDATE 7-22-2010—

I was at the Oregon shelter that morning to help my 12 year old rottie diagnosed with bone cancer over the rainbow bridge. As a foster parent for the shelter I knew Dallas had just come back that morning from her 3rd home. I was in no mood for another dog, no mood to give my heart again, and definitely not in the mood for a puppy; somehow though I ended up leaving with her tucked under my arm like a tiny black suitcase mumbling under my breath about my own lack of sanity.

From that day forward she has brought nothing but joy and smiles into my life and everyone else she meet’s along the way. Dallas always wags her tail from the first rib back, greeting everyone with a friendly hello and a welcoming spirit.

I regularly get compliments what a well trained dog she is. I would love to take the credit, but I am sure I never did anything special; she just always seems to know what you are saying to her. However we do not actually use the D O G word in front of her because she really does not know she is one.

She has always enjoyed going for rides. She is so good that there have been times I forgot she was in the backseat. Other times she thought there may be a car ride and would sit in the car for hours, refusing to get out just in case. Because she is so well tempered and obedient she accompanies me most everywhere, whether a quick trip to the post office, laying by my side, or driving the ALCAN Highway, she is always happy just to be with her person.

I am convinced this miracle dog has a guardian angel watching over her. On Easter she was playing tug tug, her favorite game next to fetching the ball, when I noticed a little blood on her tongue. It seemed she had pulled loose one of her lower canine teeth and injured the gum tissue. I took her to a walk in vet clinic the next morning more worried about infection at her age (she was almost 9) and anticipating a script for antibiotics. Instead the vet immediately started talking cancer, abscess removal, surgery, and lab work. Whoa there Doc! This is just a loose tooth after all. I left thinking “that’s what I get for not going to my regular VCA vet”. But by Wednesday the injury to her gum seemed to be growing and there were more teeth being pushed loose from the pressure of the growth. I took her to VCA and the vet put her on a stronger antibiotic as well as doing a biopsy of the tissue. Just over the weekend the mass had taken on a life of its own and most certainly was no simple abscess. Monday morning, I was at the vet’s office waiting for DR. Simmons when they opened in a complete panic. While I waited the biopsy results also confirmed osteocarcinoma; bone cancer. Surgery was scheduled for that Friday morning. The treatment plan consisted of removing the cancerous portion of her lower jaw back to the pre molars for a clean margin and chemotherapy treatments. From that time on, my life became a whirlwind of vet appointments, online research, cancer chat groups and medication schedules. She recovered from the surgery like the trooper she is, our vet getting clean margins. Dr. Simmons took step by step photos of the surgery and I photo documented her recovery daily on facebook.

Her first chemo treatment was a month after surgery. I expected the worst and once again was surprised with the life and vitality Dallas radiates. She is now coming up on chemo treatment # 5 with 3 more to go. She will need 3 month check-ups, regualar blood work, bi-yearly xrays of the lungs, a special diet and supplements, but it is nothing compared to not having her in my life every precious day. Dallas was there for me when I had my own battle with cancer and now I am here for her. I never thought about the money or what I had to give up for Dallas to get the care she needs to live the full potential of her life.

I am so grateful for all the support and information available online, and more than anything I thank fate for bringing Dallas and I together and for watching over the both of us. I still can’t believe how quickly the cancer grew or how lucky we were to have caught it so early. I am thankful for the compassion and care Dr. Simmons and her staff has provided both me and Dallas. With the gray on her chin gone from post surgery she looks like she acts, a young pup enjoying every moment life has to offer.

Thank you Canine Cancer Awareness for all your help.

—Danika and Dallas

CCA has donated $800 in order to help pay the costs of Dallas’ treatments. Any sponsor donations made on behalf of Dallas will be used to pay unpaid invoices and the checks will be sent directly to Dallas’ vet.

Please also give generously to Dallas. To help sponsor treatment, you can click on the PayPal donate button below or send a check to:

Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc.
44 Devoe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

DONATIONS RECEIVED FOR DALLAS:
07-28-10 — $50.00 (Donation from Melissa — I Love you both M.)
08-25-10 — $3.00 (Donation from Amanda DiMauro)

UPDATE 09-29-2009—

The glee in Roxy’s eyes was inescapable after her high speed racing around the edges of her enclosed yard.

Her slight limp didn’t interfere with our daily long walks. Actually, it was hard to pin down at first, which front leg had the limp.

Then one Tuesday afternoon coming home from her weekly social visit to the senior living home, no one could mistake her hobbling, painful progress to the car;  right paw held high above the asphalt.

At the vet’s the next day Dr. Annette Jones did x-rays and pointed out the tell-tale area on the right leg. The six year old greyhound had osteosarcoma. We were sent to Veterinary Specialists of Rochester, N.Y. for thoracic amputation. Her right leg and shoulder had to go.

There her surgeon Dr. Mehler said Roxy came through surgery very well and could walk with support right away. She was in pain but no more than expected after such an invasive procedure. Roxy learned to adapt but when the pain over rode the medication, a new problem appeared.

She had been troubled by neck pain months earlier and had been treated for it. Now it returned with a vengeance. In her early struggle to compensate for the lost limb, she exaggerated head and neck bobbing.

Once she got a smoother rhythm the neck pain went away.

Roxane now sees Dr. Koch her oncologist, regularly for chemo treatment and blood work.

Those soft dark eyes no longer dart with pain but flash with the joy of play and you can hear her squeaking and prancing before a long walk with one of the two boy dogs she shares home with. She may finish their supper for them or snarl at the younger dog, but never does either one chastise her. She is the gentle queen. Long may it be so.

— Liane

CCA has donated $600 to help pay the costs of Roxane’s treatment. Please also give generously to Roxane. To help sponsor treatment, you can click on the PayPal donate button below or send a check to:

Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc.
44 Devoe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

DONATIONS RECEIVED FOR ROXANE: