Canine Cancer Foundation

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Our Precious Baby Girl Maggie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a story about our beloved golden Retriever who passed away suddenly this Feb. from a ruptured tumor on her spleen. Maggie was not only a dog she was a big part of our family. She was my best friend and loyal companion and the best gift ever given to me. Maggie was only 8 when she passed and to say the least, we were not prepared at all. Maggie was a gift to my daughter Raquel for her 19th birthday. When Raquel decided to go to law school in San Diego, she and Maggie packed up and left. Finding out that her days were spent at school, Raquel made the hard decision to have Maggie come home to stay with us. Seeing that we were home alot and had another dog, Daisy for her to play with. Maggie became my dog, and that's when we became inseparable. Maggs traveled with us all over. She went down to San Diego frequently with us and went sail boating, hiking, dog beach and there wasn't an outdoor cafe we didn't visit without maggie laying under the table at peace.. To say the least, she was the joy of my life. Maggie was in tone to everything that went on. We had my mother in law living with us and one morning she alerted my husband who was asleep upstairs in our bedroom that his mother had fallen out of bed. She kept hitting the bedroom door with her nose until he opened it and then heard his mother yelling for help. She was our Hero. Without any warning one Saturday morning she didn't want to eat breakfast. Thinking this was odd, I thought maybe she had an upset stomach. When she didn't want to eat her lunch, it really concerned me, so off we went to the vet. By the time we got there, she was visually very tired and when the vet looked at her gums, they were gray. This didn't look good and off she went for xrays. Thinking that maybe she was anemic and needing some meds.. I had my daughter Raquel on the phone when the vet came in to tell us that Maggie was dying. Need I say what our choices were at this time. She was bleeding out into her stomach and there was only one option. Totally in shock we had to make the decision and little time to say goodbye. It has been only 7 weeks and we are still mourning this precious gift. Maggie is at rest, but she had left behind so many memories of her being. The swimming pool out back that she loved to play in to the quietness of her not being here. We thought that we would have at least 4 more years with her, but God works in mysterious ways. There is a reason Maggie was taken from us too soon and I am still trying to figure this out. But one thing I do know is that this Dog has taught me so many lessons in life and has shown me what loyalty and unconditional love and trust is. We were truly blessed to be her family. Maggie, you are gone out of our lives, but will never be gone from our hearts.

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Our sweet Isabella was only 7yrs old. On July 1st 2011 she became really sick. We did all kinds of test ruling out all kinds of stuff. Finally we did an Xray she had a mass on her spline and thickening of the stomach. The next day we did an ultra sound and took samples of the mass. Crossing our fingers and praying that she would be OK. The results that came back were cancer and it was a type of cancer that we could do nothing to save her. She was an angel through all the test, I syringe feed her for a month. It broke all of out hearts. I rescued her when she was a baby her beginnings were really rough she over came so much & taught me to always love from my heart. Her sister Stella "kitty" still misses her and I think of her everyday. Isabella touched our hearts so deeply. We did a video in her memory. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI81c2HwYyI

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Annie was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in November 2008 at the age of 4 and underwent amputation of her right front leg followed by chemotherapy. She was a real trooper through it all and a month after her surgery I lost my beloved 13 year old lab. Annie adjusted well to 3 legs and has been a survivor ever since. It has been over 3 years now and she is doing well and remains on doxycycline and piroxicam and a grain free diet. I hope this gives hope to other cancer survivors out there. She loves to play ball and chase squirrels and I'm thankful for her everyday.

Name: Steph

Pet Name: Shawnee & Cheyenne

Story or Memory:

In memory I had had rotts since I was 18 years old. These two girls were the coolest dogs. They each weighed 140 lbs and thought they were 10. Always had to sit on your lap or next to you on the couch. We took them everywhere. camping, boating whatever...always arround people. Shawnee stated limping on her front leg and since I worked for a vet we went ahead and x-rayed her leg and shoulder. Nothing found. at first I was not thinking bone cancer due to her only being 5 years old. We put her first on NSAIDs then added things like tramadol, and torb. I even went as far as injectable drugs 4 times a day. The kids were playing with her one morning and she fell off the bed and just yelped. Then the following morning there was an huge lump on the point of her shoulder. She had broken it. In the span of 8 to 10 weeks it went from nothing to full blown bone eating cancer. Due to her size amputation was not an option. I couldn't let her suffer. We put her down. Then almost exactly 30 days later the 9 year old cheyenne got it in her hock. This disease took two of our best friends in the span of 30 days. They need to find a cure to stop dogs suffering from and from of cancer, so they can have a nice lifespan. We will miss you girls forever. The trujillo family and household zoo :-)

Name: Kaiylin Trumpth

Pet Name: Ben

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We bought him at a camp ground when he was 8 months old and we moved to Ontario with him. He was a beagle and shortly after we adopted him he got diagnosed. Later on he was costing us so much money that we had to give him up in the middle of his desise it was so hard because my children were 10 and 8 then. Months later we learned that Ben had passed away on October 3rd 2008 and when we recieved the phone call we were devastaded. WE LOVE YOU BEN HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Charlie, from this day forward I will always think of you. I can't believe you are gone with such short of notice. You were diagnosed with lymphoma less than two weeks ago. Ever since then it's been a down hill struggle. We were debating between treatment or to euthanize. My mom was crying and decided that chemo would be our best option, but we were only buying time. It is so hard on the whole family. I'm in a state of shock and am totally numb. Today you were going in for the first chemo treatment. However, it had a different outcome. We couldn't see you suffer anymore. We put you to sleep. It isn't because we didn't love you, but because we loved you enough to let you go. No dog should suffer like that. You have lived an amazing 10 years. I wish there was more but the memories made are irreplaceable and I know you're in a better place. Peace and love and comfort be with you. Until we meet again in Heaven. Love forever.

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Our 9 year old loveable Black Lab, Jake, went in for a small non-moving lump on his shoulder in early 2011. The vet said he will remove it 'just in case'. An hour later I got a call from our vet telling me he has never seen this kind of cancer before, but it was not one lump/tumor but thousands of tumors wrapped around his liver and lungs. When we picked Jake up he had an incision from his mid back to his underbelly. My poor puppy... but being a lab he let us take care of him & he kept our spirits high. He is still doing great and finally his hair has grown back.. Thank you God for Jakie being a cancer survivor.

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Our Memory of our Christy is pure sunshine. She was the sweetest Golden Retriever and wouldn't hurt a flea! We had her from 8 wks. old till shy of 14 yrs. old. She was playful up to the end when she got very ill from what we found out to be stomach cancer spread to liver and intestines. Our hearst are still sad with her not here with us, we miss her so much. She will always be our Sunshine. Her golden heart and joy of life taught us to enjoy all the little things in life and stopping to smell all the flowers and say hi to strangers and wake up with a smile and to go to bed with a smile! We love you Christy, Hugs...Love, Mumma and Dadda

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Our dog Petey was diagnosed with Lymphoma on August 23, 2011. 2 weeks prior, he was in the vet for a bowel obstruction because he ate something he should not have (he LOVES TO EAT EVERYTHING!). The vet noticed his swollen lymph nodes and immediately did a blood test for a tick born disease called irlichiosis. It was negative so we took some blood. The results still said negative but a talk to a specialist said that they will do a false negative if the dog had just been bitten by the tick. We were hoping for this diagnosis because it was much much better than a cancer diagnosis. After 2 weeks of watching his lymph nodes and keeping him on antibiotics (which he would vomit from every day), we noticed the lymph nodes in his rear were also swollen and the ones in his neck were larger. A biopsy revealed 90% of cells to be large lymphoblasts and the other cells to be small and medium sized mature lymphoblasts. After the biopsy, his gums turned white and he was very sick. I thought maybe due to the puncture spreading some of the cancer into his body. A visit to the emergency vet convinced us to start him on prednisone and get some xrays. His spleen was enlarged and the vet recommended chemo saying that lymphoma dogs have a great chance of remission and that the chemotherapy gives a good quality of life as dogs do not react to chemo like people do. So we started him on chemo the following day doing what the vet called the COAP protocol. We opted to treat him at the E vet because the specialist wanted $150 just to walk in the door. Weekly treatments run about $200 for Petey. He is in his second week of chemo and his lymph nodes have shrunk substantially. He has gained 7 lbs (he lost 20 since he got sick). We are keeping our hopes up for him and praying that he pulls through. He is only 9 years old, which is NOT OLD ENOUGH TO DIE in our opinion. I am unemployed but we are doing ebay and online fundraisers and have raised almost $100 dollars to his treatment. It is not a lot but it does help. We are praying this treatment works but if it does not, at least we have already had 2 more weeks with our little angel. Spoiling him like crazy and making him as happy as he can be. I also changed his food to a salmon and sweet potato formula that is grain free and have added omega 3 oils and liver night and day to support his iron and blood. His last blood test revealed increased red cells and platelets but a decreased white count. I think this is due to the chemo hurting his immune system. Please pray for this dog who is more like a person in a dog suit or a celebrity than just some old dog.

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Devon's story is one of survival and a memorial. Devon was a bulldog who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when she was 7 years old. For those not familiar with bulldogs their average age is 9 years. Devon had her thyroid removed, underwent chemo and radiation therapy and followup regularly. She was great! She loved life and lived every moment to the fullest! When she was 9 years old she was having bladder infections so the vet did a sonogram to check for kidney or bladder stones. She discovered stones as well as her liver looked lumpy. Since Devon was in such great shape they decided to remove the stones and biopsy the liver. It came back that the thyroid cancer went to her liver. From what I understand a very unusual place for it to go. They gave her 2 months on average to live. But, Devon wouldn't give up. About 4 months out her old oncologist called and asked if we would like to try her with an experimental drug, Paladia. We jumped at the chance. While I don't know for sure if the Paladia helped her or not it did get approved not that long ago as a treatment for certain kinds of cancer. Long story short, Devon lived another 2 years, and was an active, playful, and very happy right up til the end! So, while she did eventually pass on I feel like Devon was more of a survivor, she never let anything get her down and she even got to contribute to medical history in the making. Of course, none of this would have been possible without her great vet care and the research teams at MorrisAnimal Foundation.

Name: Debbie Lung

Pet Name: Maggie Marie

Story or Memory:

I lost my most beloved, Maggie, a golden retriever, in August 2006. She had been having pain in her rear right leg. I took her to the vet and as the vet was examining her gently, her leg broke! I am hearing-impaired and couldn't hear the break but the vet did. Maggie let out a cry and limped to the corner and cried. The vet was horrified. X-ray revealed a broken leg and a tumor on the bone. Her only chance was to have the leg amputated. Because she was a bit over-weight, the vet did not recommend this. She went to heaven at age 6 and my heart has never recovered....

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Maxie was my beautiful golden girl who recently passed away two days after her twelfth birthday from spleen hemangiosarcoma. The tumor had burst and was bleeding into her abdomen. The vet also discovered that it had metastasized to her liver. Rather than have her suffer anymore, we said goodbye and let her go, one of the hardest things we will ever have to do. It seemed that one day she was her vibrant self and the next day she was gone with hardly any warning. She was with us for 12 wonderful years and yet it will never seem long enough. We love her and miss her very much. I hope you have a special place in Heaven, Maxer girl and we will be together again someday.

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We lost our beloved Golden Retriever, Rockie, two weeks ago to bone cancer. He was diagnosed at the young age of two and we were told nothing could be done to stop the disease. He was my daughter's dog and she promised him she would never let him suffer but she didn't feel she could put him down as long as Rockie was Rockie. We were blessed to have him almost seven months after his diagnosis. He was the sweetest dog with the most loving eyes and a smile on his face. I thought I could save him with prayer and whatever else I could find but it wasn't meant to be I guess. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. I miss him terribly and have a big hole in my heart.

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Sadly we had to do the humane thing this past Monday and let our sweet Maggie Sue go at the age of 14 which is a old age for a Rott Shephard mix. Over the past 7 years we have battled mast cell tumors all grade three's but managed to stay a step ahead until July of 2010. She had surgery on her right hind leg which contained a very large mass. At that point she was given 1 to 6 months to live. But since the Vets all thought she should have been dead years ago they could not say she could not live longer. Well she made it 5 months and 6 days past that time line. We have shed a lot of tears but she is at peace now. But we miss her dearly and so does our Golden Buddy.

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My beautiful Golden Retriever Cody was diagnosed with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma in June of 2010. He underwent invasive surgery to have the tumor removed from his pancreas. After a tough recovery, Cody began aggressive Chemotherapy. Luckily, Cody's Mom is a Veterinary Technician, so she has the added benefit of working with an incredible team of veterinarians who have helped to keep Cody so healthy during his Chemotherapy. Almost 10 months later, Cody is doing great and is looking forward to another summer of swimming! Cody is not out of the woods, and there is not a lot of research on Canine Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. But, Cody has already done so well tolerating Chemo with no signs of further metastasis (cancer spread). He is enjoying working on his Bucket List with his Mom, Dad, and Dog Sister, Gracie. I am blessed to have so much borrowed time with my boy! We are making the most of everyday.

Name: Bill Cronin

Pet Name: Angel

Story or Memory:

Nov.22,2000/feb 16 2010 her name is angel, i adopted her from overseas, She was only 8 lbs and needed a lot of love and care, i gave angel my heart for 10 years, She in return gave me her paw prints etched in my heart forever. Angel was the most smartest dog i ever had in my life. Had many many dogs. April 09 angels nose started to bleed i iced it down and called the vet. 3 days later the vet said the bleeding and blood test said cancer could be there. 2rd. opinion and testing confirmed nasal cancer. My heart stopped beating. no no. Its impossible to have my baby has cancer. Took angel for 4 rad treatments, tumor had gone down 80% went back for 5th and told to take angel home and make her as comfortable as possible in her final days. I changed her diet to fight the cancer cells, cooked hamburg, eggs rice carrots string beans and yogurt. Angel was with me another 5 months and never cried in pain and we lived and breathed with each other till her final night. I put her out to do her duty, she did and came running in the house for her cookie. angel jumped on her chair and started to sleep. I was in the den when i heard this cry that sent cold chills thru my body. I ran to angel. and sure enough her breathing got very bad and her stomach swelled to twice its size. Called vet and he came to my home and checked her out and said its time bill, she is in pain now, its time for her to fly and be free again. Angel died in my arms that night, with her head resting on my arm. Angel is buried where is loved to roam and play, in her back yard, its been 14 months now and I do have another dog, {pom} but angel will never be replaced in my heart. Angel was also a service dog in hospitals in my area. Now angel is with my wife in heaven, waiting for the day my journey is over here on earth, then we will walk in the sunshine again forever.

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Cherish and I bonded while I volunteered at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah almost 9 years ago. I couldn't leave without her so I adopted her and we have been inseparable ever since. She had a zest for life and kisses for everyone she met. Sadly, Cherish lost her battle with histiocytic sarcoma. Not from the the cancer per se, but as a result of a complication from the chemotherapy. We miss her everyday but she is in our hearts always. We pray for a cure to canine cancer soon so that others will be able to beat this terrible disease. We love you, Cherry Pie.

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My Eskie, Sean is a courageous cancer survivor! He lost his front left leg three months ago but he doesn't let that slow him down. He's still out there running and digging just as if he had four legs. He is my miracle boy!

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Matilda is our 12 1/2 yr old English Bulldog. She had a 9 1/2 cancerous tumor removed from her stomach in April. It was attached to her stomach lining but was had not went to any of her organs. We were told that it may come back or may not. Our vet did tells us that it is one of the most aggressive types of cancer. All we can do is watch her, pray and hope for the best. She seems like her old self for now so I guess that is good. So we pray everyday and thank God for the time he has given and giving us with her. My prayers go out to everyone, be it their pet dying of cancer or something else.

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Moshannon was the most wonderful german shorthair pointer anyone could ever ask for. She was my everything....my best friend. She had 3 different cancers throughout her life. She developed a malignant mast cell tumor at the age of 5. She went into complete remission after surgical removal of the tumor. Then at the age of 9 she developed an infiltrative lipoma of the masseter muscle. She had to go through radiation, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. She lost all the hair on the right side of her face, but after a few weeks it grew back (although it was white instead of brown). Radiation shrank the tumor by over 50%, and she went into remission yet again. Then the third cancer struck. It took 4 weeks of extensive testing to even determine what was wrong with her, because all of her symptoms were so widespread. Nobody even imagined that this could be one of the most rare and agressive cancers a dog can have. Finally after every blood test known to vets, seeing 9 different specialists, every possible scan of every affected organ, the veterinary neurologist found hemophagocytic histiocytic sarcoma of the liver, spleen, bone marrow, blood, and central nervous system. The oncologist put her on a massive dose of chemo hoping to buy her some time. Only 2 weeks after diagnosis, and one day after a major blood transfusion, I had to let my sweet girl go to the rainbow bridge at the age of 10. It was by far the worst day of my life, and a year and a half later it still haunts me. I will never be that close to another dog or another person for that matter. She was everything to me, and I hate this disease for taking her from me prematurely. I hope someday a cure can be found so that our beloved furchildren can live longer and happier lives free of pain, free of ongoing treatments, and free of stress.

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The memories posted here sure are poignant. "Quinn" wasn't ready to be a memory when he was diagnosed with anal sac adenocarcinoma in February '09. At thirteen now, Quinn is thoroughly enjoying his Golden Years. Follow-up diagnostics continue to indicate that his cancer was indeed detected early enough to warrant the curatve approach undertaken rather than palliative management. MAF's free Cancer Consultation was a great find and we are appreciative for the amazing resource that it is.

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One of the best gifts/surprises my parents and family ever gave me was Rufus. I met him and fell in love. He had documented seperation anxiety and I so badly wanted to love and take care of him, however my mom was not ready. Growing up we had a shepard mix named Sparky, who was a champ - she died when she was 17 years old of cancer. It was tough on our whole family. My mom absolutley refused to have another dog. My dad on the other hand repeatedly encouraged me, "get him, your mother will be fine". I couldn't do it! Finally my mom and I were out Christmas shopping and she said, "fine, take me by there I'll look at him". Little did I know that my family was there waiting for me and we adopted him! Who would have guessed 4 years later I didn't have the heart to take him with me when I moved into my own place, he was my mom's cuddle buddy and personal cowardly lion! At the time, it was what they both needed. Rufus was the best and most loving 80 lb lap dog you'd ever meet! He loved all his nieces and newphew, sleeping at the bottom of grama and papas bed, ice cream trucks, and hoses (the water stream). He despised tin foil, flashlights, storms and the cold weather. His favorite treats were liver sausage (unitl papa hid medicine in it) and anything Emma, Jack or Cara would sneak him off the side of the high chair. Ruf the Goof became sick very quick and tried hard for a week to be pretty tough. He loved the attention (which he got all the time anyway) and the Ricobene's pizza! He was too strong physically and needed our loving protection to help him be comfortable once again. He rested while hearing "I love you I love you I love you " and " that Ruf is a good boy". I get so angry because he was only eight, but he had a great run at life and made sooooooo many people so happy, safe and comfortable. I will miss him incredibly!

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It is very difficult for me to write this story but I think this is the best place to explain it. For us, Bruno was the best thing that has happened in our life, was an exceptional dog, a spectacular Labrador Retriever and totally happy. One day she started vomiting and stopped eating and took him to the vet urgently and, she told us the worst news of our lives, had liver cancer. She said that he could not do anything, because this type of cancer when it occurs, usually when the liver is severely affected. So let Bruno rest in peace, was only 5 years and he was younger. Miss you every day and every moment. 02/14/2005 to 10/13/2010 Thanks very much Marta (his vet) for all your help.

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There's a time in life when you connect eye's with someone or something and you know it's love at first sight. Kobi did just that with me. He was my best friend, my companion. Sure he wasn't perfect, in his eye's, but was perfect in my eye's despite his stubborness, his occasional loss of listening when called, or his inability to get in the car when play time was over. That was Kobi, his personality and no one was going to or wanted to change it. I'd have conversations with him saying that he needed to be with me for at least 12 years at a minimum. Regretfully on June 16, 2010 he became ill and was rushed to the vet. It appeared his spleen was enlarged and chose to do an emergency surgery. A tumor had burst on his spleen and when the biopsy returned it showed he had hemangeosarcoma, the nasty of nasty cancer. The vet gave him 3 months to live. We spoiled him, took him camping, swims at the lake, long walks, trips to the beach. It was all about Kobi. His last day started with a swim at the pond, a long walk, sitting in my truck and watching me work. At 4:30 we noticed he wasn't looking good. By 6:00 my best friend, my companion, my sole mate was gone, just like that. A tumor had ruptured and bled out leading to his fate. All I can say is love your dog at each and every moment, tell them you love them, feed them well and cherish your moments. I love you Kobi and you'll never be forgotten. RIP

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Raleigh Ann was chocolate lab and a wedding gift from my aunt. My husband worked nights and this was a perfect compliment to being home alone. She immediately stole our hearts with her love and antics. She never chewed furniture or caused problems, she really was the perfect dog - the entire reason we adopted another on 3 years ago. In April she was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor on her leg which was removed. Without putting her through the rigors of chemo or radiation, at 11 years old, we knew our time was limited. Never did I think that in 4 1/2 months she would suffer again. It is awful to watch a pet suffer and know that the end is near. Our last day together was spent at the beach retrieving tennis balls in the water - her absolute favorite thing to do other than eating. Her caring vet came to our home and helped her over the bridge. We feel so lucky to experiened her unconditional love and devotion. Little sister Ellie and best buddy Kippy look for you still! May God bless you Raleigh Ann and watch over you! You are missed by many.

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Allie was adopted at the local SPCA. I've had her since she was two years old. She was diagnosed with lymphoma in January 2010. I decided to see a specialist and Allie started chemo treatment in February 2010. She was doing but she had to get radiation for a month (once a week) in her left lymph node because it kept coming back. This was in June. The radiation was a success. She was also in remission. However, in August 2010 she went out of remission and her lymph nodes on her hind legs (by the crotch) came back. The vet tried all kinds of chemo but her body would not listen. I made the hardest decision of my life on September 11, 2010. Allie is now in Rainbow Bridge and someday she and I will be reunited forever. I am waiting to pick her up from the vet in about a week. I can't wait for her to be home. She will make her final resting place here... with me and her two best friends (my other 2 dogs). I named a star after her and I have the certificate with the coordinates. She is now shining forever.

Name: Andy

Pet Name: Champ

Story or Memory:

Champ - A great friend and even better companion.

Name: Brian Howe

Pet Name: Abbie

Story or Memory:

Abbie (my soul mate female hound) was diagnosed three and a half years ago with Lymphoma. I was told to expect to lose her in about a year (even with Chemo). After her chemo I discovered after searching the internet wonderful cancer fighting products.....A.H.C.C. and Artemisinin. These can be bought at any good health food store and are not expensive.......Abbie is still with me after all this time.

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My pug Maggie was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor in her left rear knee in September of 2006. Because of where the tumor was located our only real course of action was amputation. We did many tests before the amputation and she appeared to be cancer free except for the tumor. After amputation the lymph node from the leg was analyzed and found to contain cancerous mast cells indicating the cancer was in her lymph system. Her prognosis at that point was guarded; with chemo she was given six to nine months. We did a course of chemo and hoped for the best, but prepared for the worst. Maggie turned that prognosis into three years and nine months! But cancer was not done with us yet. This past winter Maggie was diagnosed with the early stages of kidney failure. We controlled that for a month or so then she crashed. She almost stopped eating and was very sick. She was then diagnosed with a malignant melanoma tumor on her upper palate, that was March 1st. I did not think she had much time left at that point, in fact I didn't think she would last the week, but she rallied again. She had a good quality of life for 3 more months. I let her go on June 2nd when the pain from the melanoma broke through. Maggie and I were at the cancer walk in Elk Grove in April, I have her 'survivor' bandanna with her other things. In October we will be walking with Team Tripawds in memory of Maggie, and all of our Tripawd heros who are fighting the good fight and for those who fought hard but have left us. Maggie's story can be read at: http://maggiesjourney.tripawds.com/ The picture is Maggie on her 11th birthday this past March.

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My beautiful dog Nikkii was first diagnosed with diabetes, in Nov. of 2004. In May of 2005 he was diagnosed with Nasal Adenocarcinoma. They only gave him 3-5 months to live. But with Faith and guidance I found a wonderful holistic and Herbalis Dr. Wen, in New York and he treated my Nikkii for the last five years. After 2 years he developed Thryoid Tumor and also was treated. He didnt have it easy, but he was a strong dog and if you would look at him you would have never known how sick he was. During the last year of his live I took him off the the herbal (medicinal) pills and that is when I decided he had enough and with his age, my beautiful strong dog had a wonderful life and for the last 5 years, God gave me time with him. And on Mothers Day I had to laid him to rest. Cancer can be treated in some many different ways. And I thanked God every day and Dr. Wen for having me the precious years with my dog Nikkii. Rest In Peace My Boy.

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Our soft coated wheaten terrier, Taylor, was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma (grade 1) five weeks ago. It's been a long journey already for the whole family and it has just begun. Over the last couple weeks, Taylor has shown us such strength and compassion... his love shows us to appreciate the little things (especially when they squeak) and the cuddles. Our second surgery is days away... learn more about Taylor's journey at http://agirlandtwoshorttails.blogspot.com/ Our heart goes out to those that have fought this battle before us and strength has been found in the stories of others.

Name: Cheryl

Pet Name: Sunday

Story or Memory:

Sunday has a lymphoma growth under his left foreleg. It is causing his leg to become dislocated. The vet gave us no hope, as surgery would only temporarily remove the growth. It will come back. We had someone suggest an aloe vera regimen to treat the lump. Has anyone heard of this? Know what type and amount of dosage? We are heartbroken as we watch our beloved husky/lab lose his ability to move and enjoy life.

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Sterling was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the gum in August of 2007. He was almost 9 at the time. It seems odd to use the words lucky and cancer in the same sentence, but we were very lucky that Sterling had broken a molar and needed to have it removed, else the cancerous growth may not have been detected as early as it was. He started radiation treatments with Dr Linda Fineman at Veterinary Medical Associates in Campbell CA on September 1 and he finished them on September 19. It was pretty rugged. He experienced alot of side effects and there were times when I wanted to just keep driving past the hospital and not subject him to it anymore. But, we got through it. Prior to his cancer diagnosis, Sterling was my Search and Rescue partner. He approached his radiation treatments the same way he approached his search job; with a complete trust in the humans around him and a solidly matter-of-fact attitude. He has been cancer-free now for three years. I treasure every moment with my poodle son and I have Dr Fineman, Dr Steven Holmstrom, Dr Nancy Clifton and Dr Molly Rice to thank for that.

Story:

This is a survivor and happy memory story about my beaufiful golden, Austin. He was found on the streets of Tucson, smelly, filthy, with ear and eye infections back in 2001. He was around 18-24 mos old. They named him Odie for "odiferous". Thanks to the good folks at Rescue A Golden, he found his forever home with me. I renamed him after my alma mater. I want everyone to know what a happy dude he was. Here is a picture of him June 15, 2010 still playing with all of his toys, and one of his buddies, Benji. Austin was diagnosed with Stage 5 lymphoma of the bone marrow and hypercalcemia in early November 2009. He fought a very brave fight, had a good quality of life, and was happy all the way to the end. He went into remission early, beating the 5% odds of surviving one month after diagnosis. Unfortunately he developed fluid in his chest in the later part of May. We tried various things to get it to dry up, but it kept coming back more frequently. It became a quality of life issue. I was given a gift of eight months with Austin. Austin went very peacefully to the Bridge on June 19th surrounded by his loved ones in his own home with his favorite vet assisting him in getting his angel wings. Austin got to live his life all the way to the end. I will always remember how people loved him, and how happy he was no matter what he was handed as a challenge. Here is an excerpt how his life was back when he was rescued (Odie aka Austin) back in 2001: "Odie wore out my dogs too and they are young dogs. He sure is a big energy boost. He loved the other dogs and liked to be busy all the time. His routine was play, play, play, play, sleep, sleep, play, play, play, etc. What a great dog he is going to be. He is about as sweet as any dog I've ever known. Loves everybody and everything and always wants to be with you and know exactly what you are doing. Where ever my hands were you would find his face. If I took one thing out of a drawer he would take four or five things out. A real character. So glad he is with you and thank you for writing. The whole family was talking about him all day and wondering how he was doing, particularly my mom. He was particularly taken with her and her with him." That was my boy 8 years ago, and he never really changed except for some white in his face. He still was full of energy, goofiness, and love all the way to the end. I will never forget him. I hate that cancer had to take him from me, and I hope that we can cure canine cancer.

Story:

Yesterday I lost my baby girl my beloved Sandy at 10 years old. She was born on September 19, 1999 and came into our life at 7 months old. She was found at a kill shelter in Chicago and the Shorewood cocker rescue in Wisconsin heard about her and took her in. From there she came into our home and was greatly loved. I believe she was an abused dog because she was afraid of the hand and did not know how to play. She was an extremely beautiful dog and could have been a show dog if it not for her tail. She had none and barely had a stub that maybe was 1/2' long. With a lot of love and understanding she got over her fears and loved to play with the soccer ball, tennis ball, tug of war, run on the beach and walks. A couple of weeks later she got a sister Cockapoo Buffy. Her and her sister loved playing in the sprinkler system just like two little kids in a swimming pool and the videos I have will be a great memory of her. At 9 months old Sandy ate a poisoned mushroom and was dying. The only hope was to try acupuncture which we did and it saved her life. She then developed pancreatitis and survived that as well. She then had tear duct problems and was on 3 types of medication a day for the rest of her life and it was under control. When it was time for bed, she would jump on the bed and put her head on my chest. I would stroke her until we both went to sleep. What a great way to go to sleep! She then developed an ear growth in here right ear and we had to remove her ear canal and she became deaf in that ear. Just recently she developed an ear infection in her only good ear and they wanted to remove that as well and I refused. I insisted on a second opinion and last week after months of treatment the doctor told us that we saved her ear and hearing. She then developed a limp in her right leg and was treated with Rimadyl. The limp went away for a couple of weeks and then came back. X-rays showed no signs of bone cancer or arthritis and again was treated with Rimadyl. The limping went away but she could hardly make it around the block and her energy level was way down and was in pain. After some blood test and urine analysis she had a kidney infection and was on antibiotics and pain medication. After 5 days she still in pain and we rushed her to the emergency room and they gave her a sedative and pain medication. A follow up with my vet and an ultra sound showed nodules on her spleen. We then went to the oncologist who did a biopsy and found that it has metastasized and she did not know the source of the cancer. The best hope was to keep her comfortable with pain medication until the end. Two days before, she fell asleep on my gym shows and it was the only time that she was somewhat comfortable. We gave her pain injections which did not help and finally put on a fentanyl patch. That did not help either and after sleeping with her on the floor Friday and hearing her moan in pain as she tried to get comfortable I promised her that not another night will go by with her being in so much pain. She will be greatly missed and it was my greatest honor and pleasure that she was a part of my life.

Story:

My baby girl, Molly, passed away on January 26, 2010, at the age of 16. She was diagnosed with cancer three times in her life - she beat it twice, but the third was too aggressive, and we were out of options. When she was about 11 years old we found a lump on her arm, and the doctor determined it was a myxosarcoma. She had radiation and was back up and running - she hardly missed a beat. She was full of life and joy and going strong. A few years laughter she was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, a particularly aggressive form of cancer. The doctors didn't expect her to live too long, and when she developed kidney issues that required daily fluids, they were sure she was a goner. She proved them all wrong. She was still full of life and going strong, showing no pain and showing us all that you can't keep a good woman down. This past December we had a huge snow storm and she started limping - we thought she pulled a muscle on some ice. We took her to our regular vet and got her some muscle relaxants and pain pills, and gave her massages, but she continued to limp. So we took her to see her oncologist. It was bone cancer. We had "used up" all of our chemotherapy treatments when we treated her hemangiosarcoma, and her body couldn't have handled any more. And the cancer was too aggressive. No more options. To say that Molly is a pet would be a serious understatement - she is family, and always will be. I miss her every day, but she still finds a way to bring me joy every day - a picture of her, a funny memory, the thought of seeing her again one day. There are so many stories I could write about Molly, but there just isn't space. But here is a classic one: There was the time my mom had the nerve to fall asleep on the couch - dubbed "Molly's Couch." Molly went right up to Mom, ripped the pillow out from under her head, and proceeded to climb up on the couch (in the three inches of free space at the end), wiggling her butt until she not-so-gently shoved Mom off. :-) I love her and miss her, and she is the greatest friend and baby girl anyone could ever ask for. ** I would like to send a special thanks to the people at Southpaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center in Fairfax, VA, and particularly Dr. Monika Jankowski, for taking such good care of Molly. Their expertise, love, and support helped Molly more words can say, and they gave me the greatest gift possible - more years with Molly. I am forever grateful.

Story:

Jerry was our soul dog. He kept us sane from the minute we rescued him at the Sequoia Humane Society in 1998, to the years he was "Canine Fun Officer" of our business, to the time we sold everything and traveled North America together as a pack. In 2006, Jerry was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Back then, we had no idea that dogs even got cancer. We were scared and felt so alone, as if the world we had built around us was crashing down. We proceeded with amputation to relieve Jerry's pain. He was given fourth months to live, so we chose to focus on quality of life over quantity, and hit the road in an RV after selling nearly everything we owned. Jerry loved nothing more in the world than a road trip and a romp in the woods, so we were going to give that to him for as long as he was healthy and able to enjoy it. Throughout our journey, Jerry defied all odds. He lived nearly two years, much longer than the four months statistics said he would last. He ran, swam, played and hopped around America, showing the world that life on three legs wasn't so bad. During our two years traveling together, Jerry's courage taught us how to enjoy life and make the most out of what you are given. Although he is no longer with us, Jerry's legacy lives on at the website we started in his honor; Tripawds.com, the world's largest community for three legged dogs and their humans. Because of our Tripawd cancer hero, dog pawrents around the globe are discovering that "it's better to hop on three legs than limp on four!"

Story:

My wife decided to come home with a surprise in August 2004. She attended a local Dog Frisbee championship that day, and the Humane Society was there adopting pets. Her parents were there with her and helped her pick out our little baby. She called me while she was on her way home, and told me she had a surprise. About 30 minutes later, a little 25 lb. angel came prancing in the house. I told her, "are you serious?" I was not expecting this, and as soon as she jumped up on the couch, and nestled up to me, that's when I realized she was our new little family member. Throughout her years, she was a little sprite. She loved swimming at the lake, chasing squirrels and birds, hiking, getting the inside of her leg scratched, and playing with her squeaky babys, (sometimes treating them like her own), & loved being sang to. Her sweetness rubbed off on everyone. With her being a Corgi, she had short little legs, and it was hilarious when she tried to shake. She would also sit up like a Meercat. In October 2009, my friends were over at our house for a get together, and one of my buddies noticed that she had lost weight. With us seeing her everyday, I didn't really notice the weight loss. A few days after that i was laying with her on the couch watching T.V. and noticed that her lymphnodes were severely swollen. At first we thought it was an infection, but decided to take her the Vet anyways. We got the call that afternoon that she was sick and they diagnosed her with stage 3 Lymphoma. They gave her 2 months. We decided on Chemotherapy after debating her options. She swam, hiked and played her heart out for 8 months, up until this past Friday May 14th 2010. We woke up and found her a sleep in the adjacent bedroom, which was really unusual, and she wouldn't eat and threw up twice. We took her to the vet, and they told us that it was time to let her go. we stayed in the Vet room with her for about an hour and a half hugging and kissing her little nose and scratching her belly. She took her last breath on this earth and took her first breath in Heaven. Vick was our first child. This has put us into a deep depression, everything that we did, she did. The house is too empty without her. We always sang to her when she was sleepy, "I know somebody who's sleepy, her names little Vickey" & lala lalala...she loved our voices. We love you baby, and we'll see you again one day! We know you're looking down on us, and we'll do our best to inform others of Canine cancer in your memory. Mwah little Vickey.

Story:

Ramesh, a retired CCI dog, was a pup that we'd raised. He came back to us with his special skills, loved being a reading dog in the library, but he really worked his magic with preschoolers on the autism spectrum. I was full of awe as he coaxed them to focus, to speak, to pay attention and thus to learn. Picture a child giving commands to this dog that was bigger than he and giggling in delight as "Mesh" waited, got a ball, brought it back and put it in the boy's hand. Of course, that boy had to say "Thank you". This golden made miracles!

Name: Nancy Green

Pet Name: Jack

Story or Memory:

 On February 8, 2010 we had to say good-bye to our beloved golden Jack. Jack had gotten unaccustomly quite over the Christmas holiday but was eating well and showed no other signs that something may be wrong. However, as the weeks evolved into January we thought that maybe his leg was bothering him (he had a strained achillies tendon from puppydom) and thought that perhaps this was how his was displaying discomfort. So we brougt him to the vet and told her that he had become quiet, drinking a lot of water and just didn't seem right. The vet examined him and agreed that perhaps his leg was bothering as she could find nothing else wrong. The vet indicated that we could give him an aspirin when we felt it was needed. So we went home and gave the aspirin as directed and Jack seemed to be acting more like himself - so we thought. A couple of weeks went by and it was still the same story, some days he was his old self and other days he was pretty quite. Now we are moving into the 1st week of February - I was getting more conerned and really thought that something else must be wrong. On February 4th Jack didn't eat (this was a first), he didn't eat again on Friday and then I became alarmed. Saturday morning I really couldn't bear it any longer so I called the vet and asked for them to see Jack that morning. I told her that something was radically worng with him. Long story short, the vet took a urine sample (full of blood), a full blood panel and an x-ray. Jack's abdomen was full of fluid (probably blood). The vet told me that she suspected a spleenic tumor that had burst and that there was no way to tell if it was malignant or benign or if malignant, if it had spread to other organs. I couldn't believe my ears. He was only 7 years old. My husband and I made the difficult choice to end Jack's suffering - he left us very peacefully - I know that he is playing and happy and no longer tired - he's is the puppy that we remember with love. For the short while we had him, he made our life so happy - he will be remembered as the best friend ever and missed forever!

Story:

Our very special girl, Abby passed away on February 14, 2010, she just turned 12. We adopted her when she was just 7 weeks. A rescue group in Massachusetts had brought a group of lab mix pups from the Aiken County shelter in South Carolina. It was love at first sight. Shortly after she came into our lives we moved to Southern Maine. We met so many people because of her. Obedience classes turned into agility classes and before you knew it we were headed off to agility trials in the Northeast. She was a smart girl on the course, but a clown at the same time. We had a ball, took her silliness in stride and just had fun. We did manage to win one ribbon! We were so proud of her. Abby was our inspiration to start a business in Portsmouth, NH called Canine Cupboard Gourmet Dog Bakery. We just celebrated our 9th anniversary in business on January 1st. Shortly after that we both noticed Abby drinking alot of water, which was unusual for her. A trip to the vet and by January 20th we had a diagnosis of large granular hepatic lymphoma. It was an atypical type that compromised her liver, kidney & bone marrow. It was very aggressive. We tried one round of chemo but could clearly see it was too aggressive to continue on. She had some really good days and some really bad days in the three short weeks we were battling this with her. Our vet was kind enough to come to our house in the early morning on Valentine's Day. We had her at home with us until the very end. Abby has been an inspiration to us. We did so much in those 12 years with her. She went everywhere with us, loved to visit or just hang with us at home. She was just the coolest dog. Some days it is very hard to be working at our store, Abby's store. But then I look up at her picture on the wall, flying through an agility tunnel, with a huge grin on her face and instantly I have a huge grin on my face. We lost out best buddy and miss her terribly, but have great memories of our 12 years together.