Memories & Survivor Stories
Despite ongoing research efforts—and many treatment breakthroughs—cancer remains the No. 1 cause of death in dogs over the age of 2. This disease affects dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes. The one thing all of these companions have in common is that they are and forever will be deeply loved. We thank you for sharing your stories with us and others who face this battle. Your stories of loss give us reason to fight. Your stories of survival give us reason to hope. Together, we can cure this disease.
Stories & Memories
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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Name: Hero's Hope Pet Name: Hero |
Story:
Last May, Hero looked at me with his big brown eyes and his eyes spoke to me. They said, "HELP ME PLEASE." He was not yet due for his annual physical as it had been only 4 months since his annual, but I loaded him into the care and off we went to visit Hero's favorite person, Dr. Joe. Dr. Joe asked why we were there as Hero was not indicating anything wrong. I told Dr. Joe what Hero's eyes had said, and asked if we could do a blood work up. He reminded me it had only been 4 months, and nothing appeared wrong for an 8 year old Rottie. I said, let's run it anyway. The results were not remarkable but did show a bit of anemia, but nothing alarming. I then said to Dr. Joe, "Hero looks a bit poochy to me, and he chuckled and said, "we are all getting a little poochy in our middle age." I asked for radiographs anyway. The radiographs did not show anything remarkable, but a few suspicious shadows, so I asked for an ultrasound. The ultrasound did not show anything remarkable, but did indicate something undetermined. That week Hero had exploratory surgery and Dr. Joe removed a 21 inch almost 5 pound tumor filled spleen. No wonder Hero was so poochy looking. We sent tissue samples in and labwork came back Lymphosarcoma. I immediately looked to find a clinical study or treatment plan Hero could participate in and the God's smiled upon us as a local University of MO was conducting a clinical study on Lymphosarcoma. Hero donated blood, tissue and lymph glands to the study and has been undergoing chemotreatment since May. In June, he went into remission and is currently still in remission. Hero received permission to visit with children undergoing medical treatment fo cancer and has visited on limited basis. As a therapy dog, he was missing his kids, so on a limited basis he has gone to the library so children could read to him. The school wants Hero back this fall and we are working on a plan that will not tire him so he can continue to serve as a therapy dog helping at risk children on a limited basis. Every time we go to the vet, Hero wants to visit and comfort everyone in the waiting room, even though he is there as a patient. I will ask permission and he will lie down next to other dogs that are stressed in the Dr.'s office, and help them calm down with his calm demeanor. He will lean against the owner and give them his famous Rottie hug and look at them with those huge brown loving eyes as if he is saying, "It will all be alright." Most people say he helps them, even when he is there to be helped. He is a dog that never stops loving and giving no matter the setting, whether to a person or another animal. He has walked in alongside many a stressed dog to the examining room to help them relax. The staff at the University of MO say he is the model patient and even cheers them up during their stressful day during his treatments with his big goofy grim, warm loving eyes and gentle spirit. We hope Hero will stay in remission for many months to come, but if that is not to be, we are enjoying each and every moment along the way. The treaments have definitely been worth it and extended his life beyond what was expected from a Stage IV diagnosis. Hero's Hope is that he can help others as they go through similar treatments and help raise money for treatment plans for canine cancer. Hero is a Dog Scout and very proud to represent the Dog Scouts of America. He is a therapy dog and continues to comfort others even when he needs comfort himself.
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Name: Karen Riley Pet Name: Maggie |
Story:
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.
Name: Hershey
Pet Name: Mike Shults
Story or Memory:
I have written a web site about how to keep your beloved dog from going through what we went through. My dogs death may save other dogs from cancer. Please read and save your dog. http://www.greatdogfoods.com.
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Name: Amy Pet Name: Nikkii |
Story:
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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Name: Deborah Pet Name: BJ |
Story:
We are proud to say that BJ, now 15, has been cancer free for one year, thanks to the love and support of her Veterinarian, Dr. Shari Randell, her friend, Steph, and her team of doctors and residents at the NC State Vet School. BJ (the black one) was found traveling around Pgh, PA when she was about 4 years old with her "daughter" (Bear; the brown one) who was about 2 at the time. They were caught & rescued, taken to a shelter, but not adopted. The day they faced euthanasia, BJ and Bear were rescued by a volunteer who could not keep them. I was raised with Cocker Spaniels, including a rescue, and I was lucky to hear about these two. They have traveled with me from PA to GA back to PA to WV and now we live in NC. BJ was diagnosed with mammary cancer last summer by Dr. Randell who caught it early. She had two surgeries at NC State Vet School to remove the disease, and has every 3 month check-ups at NC State to make sure her disease has not returned. In July we learned she is officially one year cancer free! Keep your fingers crossed - we are!
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Name: Dr. Mike Fry Pet Name: Casey |
Story:
Dr. Mike Fry waited for the birth of Casey while attending veterinary school at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. After visiting her mom and littermates, Dr. Fry quickly chose Casey for her wonderful energy and personality. She soon became his learning assistant, as he would practice physical examinations and other noninvasive tests on her that he was learning in veterinary school. She was a constant companion and was able to accompany Mike and his sister Barbara on a month long incredible journey across the United States during the summer between Dr. Fry's third and fourth years of veterinary school. Casey was well loved and often cared for by her grandparents Virginia and Joe Fry where she had the luxury of sleeping on their bed and taking long walks. After 10 wonderful years of love, Casey was diagnosed with a ruptured tumor on her heart and her extended family surrounded her while Dr. Fry helped her across Rainbow Bridge. She was beloved by the entire family and is missed deeply.
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Name: Colleen Pet Name: Taylor |
Story:
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.
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Name: Rhonda Allen Pet Name: Matilda |
Story:
Matilda, our 10 yr old English Bulldog was diagnosed with a stomach tumor which turned out to be one of the most common and practically uncurable. Our vet thinks he got all of the tumor but said he couldn't guarantee us that it hadn't spread but the only place it was attached that he found was on her stomach lining. As for right now, she's eating good, playing again and has her girlish figure back. No more being called "The Beer Keg w/Legs". I hope it doesn't come back but only time will tell. Until then, we will give her a rich, full life and keep her with us until we think she may be suffering or just decides her time has come to go with her babies that are in doggie heaven.
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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Name: Missy Pet Name: Mossy |
Story:
I first felt a lump in his neck the week before thanksgiving 2009, I immediately knew it wasn't good.because of the holidays I convinced myself I wasn't going to get the biopsy until after christmas but it ate at me and every day when I felt that lump I cried so 2 days before christmas we did needle aspirations and the vet was pretty certain that it was indeed Lymphoma and sure enough dec 24 the results were in...I cried the whole way home and most of the next couple days. Then I started researching and reading everything I could find and talking to people that had been thru it.. We decided against chemo. We instead changed his diet to increased protein , chicken , venison and turkey added to a low grain food and immune boosting vitamins, flaxseed, and omega 3 vitamins. He had no physical symptoms other than the lymph nodes . Still he was given 6- 8 weeks to live without treatment . We prayed and our support group prayed and supported us and the days turned in to weeks and the weeks into months. He had no problems until May 2010 when uveitis suddenly set in and he couldn't see..We managed to contain it in one eye but the other eye developed an acute glaucoma so he lost that eye his other eye cleared and we then decided to start him on oral Pred with the pred drops to contain the uveitis and try to decrease the size of the lymph nodes as we had noticed he was starting to lose a little weight and energy level wasn't quite as good...Still this was May and way beyond any ones expecations. He recovered from his eye surgery and did wonderful , had excellent appetite and was playing ball . Unfortunately july 7th he started to vomit during the night and dark tarry stools..I knew this was what we were dreading. His platelets had been dangerously low but with no symptoms but I knew this was a bleeding problem. We treated him for a GI bleed probably secondary to being onthe Pred but it wasn't to be this time.. His apetite just decreased to almost nothing over the weekend and he started to lose his site in his eye , he became extremely lethargic and barely moved all day . I brought his water bowls to him for drinks and got his medicine in with small amounts of ensure and yogurt..the only thing he would even lick the last couple days..We had to make that decision that we all dread but we knew he wasn't living a quality life anymore . When he looked at me I saw saddness and it broke my heart. as much as he wanted to continue to fight I knew that the fight was over. We said goodbye to Mossy on monday night. Our hearts are heavy and the house is very sad . The tears are continuing on this night but I do want to offer hope to anyone out there...Do your research and make the decision that is right for you and your faithful companion . We had 8 months that were a wonderful blessing especially when you are given that 6-8 WEEK timeline ..RIP Mossy ..We love you and miss you so much , but we know that you are now cancer free waiting for us across the rainbow bridge and you are happy and healed from this terrible disease.....
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Name: Lynne Benson-Colbert Pet Name: Sterling |
Story:
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.
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Name: Dani Soine Pet Name: Dazzle & Fancy |
Story:
I got Dazzle from a wonderful breeder at the ripe age of 9 years old. She was about 20 pounds overweight at the time, as her previous owner said, "She always looks hungry!" She came to work with me EVERY DAY, we took 3 short walks per day and had snack packs of baby carrots together on the front lawn of work on the summer days. Before going on a walk for lunch one day, Dazzle suddenly couldn't get up on her own, fumbled around, and was terribly confused. The vet (who we worked for) immediately gave her some medication and sent us home to recover. Dazzle did recover, but never fully. Again, one day before taking our walk, Dazzle was just not acting right. Doc's suggestion, if it was her dog, was to do an exploratory surgery and remove a suspicious lump on Dazzle's side. I waited patiently at my desk while Dazzle was on the table, and the worst news came my way. The vet's technician walked into my office with tears in her eyes, and simply stated, "You better come in here." Our doctor showed me the multiple, large tumors (later determined malignant via biopsy) growing silently on Dazzle's liver. She had been in pain for a while, but hid it very well. The doc sewed Dazzle up and placed her on the operating table the way she always layed in the office, front legs cross, back legs out like a frog. She administered the meds to send Dazzle across the bridge and I just sobbed. My co-worker, my cube-mate, my best friend was now gone. I had only had Dazzle in my life for 10 short months, but that time truly changed my life. Dazzle has given me an additional gift, however, in the form of her younger niece from the same breeder. Fancy recently was diagnosed with a grade I mast cell tumor on her back. She underwent surgery in May 2009 to remove the tumor and has healed up BEAUTIFULLY!!! When I got the call from the vet that her tumor was "the best kind of cancer" (as in removal was the cure) I cried in relief. She's back to swimming and picking her own wild raspberries and causing trouble, just like usual!!
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Name: B. Bell Pet Name: Austin |
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.
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Name: Lisa Mendez Pet Name: Abby |
Story:
Abby came into my life March of 2001. She was nine weeks old and the cutest Old English Sheepdog pup I had ever seen. She was a challenge the first year. She loved chewing carpet and my expensive shoes! One of her favorite past times was swimming. She was hesitant at first, but did not like being left out of the fun! Abby loved her family and was always next to either myself or my husband. When our son was born, she always kept a protective eye on him. In January 2009 we noticed she was limping and crying. Her vet thought that maybe she had stepped on something and injured her paw. After a shot of Rimadyl she was back to her old self. Unfortunately, the pain and crying would return just two months later. An x-ray showed several lesions on her bone. A biopsy was performed and the results came back as osteosarcoma. We were devastated. I remember sitting with Abby and hugging her with tears streaming down my face. She kept licking my face like it was her way of tellling me, "it's okay." We visited a veterinary oncologist who did not give us many options for treatment. Abby was 110 lbs. and too front heavy for amputation. We chose palliative care and though she had limitations, you would have never known she had cancer. In May 2009 she began to get more tired and sleep more. She did not have much of an appetite, but would never turn down a frosty paw or a McDonald's hamburger. My husband and I kept telling each other that she would let us know when it was time go. That time finally came May 30, 2009. I remember hugging her and running my fingers through her soft fur. When she was given the final injection that would stop her heart, there was no noise from her. Nothing. She passed peacefully. I asked her to watch over us from the Rainbow Bridge. Abby was cremated and her ashes are with us. That's how she would have wanted it since she loved being with her family.
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Name: Edward Goldin Pet Name: Sandy |
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.
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Name: Christine Pet Name: Mr. Beasley |
Story:
On May 14, our beloved Golden Retriever, Mr. Beasley, was diagnosed with lymphoma. It was such a sudden onset and it still feels like it is all a bad dream. Mr. Beasley is 10, and has had an incredible life as a therapy dog; he has given so much joy to others, and the thought of him going through such a disease just breaks my heart. We have chosen not to pursue chemo therapy, but to focus on his quality of life. He absolutely hates going to the vet, and to put him through the countless visits and chemo, just did not feel like the right thing to do. He has been so happy and full of energy and life for the past 3 weeks, that at times I have found myself wondering if the diagnosis was made in error. But just this morning, he has started to turn his nose up at food, even his favorite cookies. Today he is just is not the same Mr. Beasley we have been so honored to live with for these past 10 years. I know the inevitable is fast approaching, and we will need to say good bye. Finding this website has been a kind of therapy for me today, and I am so glad to find this kind of support during this time. God bless all of you.
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Name: Kat Wilderotter Pet Name: Ms. Molly |
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.
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Name: Brandon Pellegrino Pet Name: Abby |
Story:
I recently lost my dog Abby from malignant melanoma (on May 20th 2010) We did everything we could for her, tumor removal (on her tongue) radiation treatment, melanoma vaccine. The tumor resurfaced and I had it removed a 2nd time, but less then a month later it was back again. She lasted less then 6 months from when we found the cancer. Abby was less then 7 years old. She would have been 7 on June 4th. She was my world and I miss her dearly. My amazing Veterinarian Doctor Abraham of Noah's Ark sent me to a wonderful Oncologist named Dr. Cohen and we gave her the best treatment money could buy. It just was not enough. She was so loved by so many people, but she was my baby. Smart, cute, cuddly and full of personality are just a few words to describe my Abby. I miss her so much and want to do all I can to help any other dogs fighting this horrible disease!
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Name: Rene Agredano & Jim Nelson Pet Name: Jerry G. Dawg |
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!"
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Name: Kasi Pet Name: Vick |
Story:
My husband and I are both writing a story about our baby Vick becuase it's a form of therapy I believe for both of us. We had to put or baby to sleep 2 days ago, Vick was our 7 year old corgi-lab mix, She was a beautiful baby girl who loved life. She made us so happy..The saddest day for us was finding out she had developed lymphoma cancer. After 8 months of chemotherapy, we never thought the day would come when we would have to make that decision to put or little girl to sleep, She had done SO well on the chemo and didn't ever want to think of the day we would have to say good bye. But on Friday we knew she was sick,Didn't want to eat even TUNA (her favorite) and looked so sad. She didn't want to go out to the bathroom and just layed at the vet all day that day. My vet called crying and said that today would have to be the day. My husband held her face and I layed on her body as I felt her heart stop. It was the saddest thing I ever had to do. I am numb and my husband and i can't stop crying. We miss our little vickey so much. Everything we do reminds us of her and nothing anyone says will bring her sweet body back to us. I miss holding and petting her and kissing her little face. She kissed me before we put her down and my husband saw a little tear. This isn't fair. Why do we have to go through so much pain. This website helps us in knowing others have gone through the pain and suffering we are going through. Rest in peace my vicky! Passed away May 14, 2010. Tomorrow is our 2 year wedding anniversary and this is the worst way for us to celebrate. She will be greatly missed by anyone she met, She was a fighter and I miss everything about her.
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Name: Kasi & Nate Freeman Pet Name: Vick |
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.
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Name: Jenifer Whiston Pet Name: Kuma |
Story:
Kuma passed away on January 22, 2010 - he was 12 1/2 years old, he survived breast cancer, diabetes & glaucoma, he was a very special boy. Kuma became my best friend at only 6 weeks old, when I picked him up from a breeder in Augusta, ME. We loved to go hiking & snowshoeing, he loved to swim & retrieve, but most of all we just loved being together. Throughout his life we delt with skin & ear issues as well as fatty tumors. At 8 years old, I discovered that one of his nipples was very inflammed & looked square-ish, we went to the vet, where the "angry nipple" was removed, along with several fatty tumors, & they were sent off to pathology.....the report came back that the nipple was a maligant tumor, early stages, with a clean defined border, we went back just one week after the 1st surgery to remove the remaining 13 nipples!!! He was given a clean bill of health, due to early detection & treatment....his energy level went up & we were cancer free for several more years. Last winter Kuma had 2 seizures & was diagnosed with diabetes...we spent many hours testing his glucose levels, hand feeding him (he was always a very picky eater) & cooking for him (ground meat with UStew added)....eventually he lost his sight as well...but his tail never stopped wagging... But on a Monday in January, I found a lump in his throat, we immediately went to the vet, where a 2nd tumor was found in his lungs.....the tumor in his throat grew very quickly and a 2nd trip to the vet on Wed. ended with making an appointment for the vet to come to the house Friday morning.... Kuma passed surrounded by family & love at his home.....he will never be forgotten....
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Name: Georgia Pet Name: Ramesh |
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!
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Name: Liz Kanter Pet Name: Poppy |
Story:
Poppy was the labrador that was hard to place. The minute I fostered her, I knew I would keep her. She was a joy, loved her walks along the river, loved to swim and never asked for much except to be loved. She started losing weigh, stopped eating and was put to sleep. This is my third lab who died of cancer Lilly (my first) died from cancer of the cartlidge; Ivy died of Lekemia and Poppy went so quickly that we will never know.
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!
Name: Patricia Klappa
Pet Name: Jed
Story or Memory:
Jed was my first golden retriever. Jed was my Novice A obedience dog. He and I travelled far and wide together going to different obedience trials. We always had a great time enjoying each others company and meeting a lot of new friends. Jed eventually earned his utility dog title. Then, we started going to Rally. Jed earned his Rally Advanced Excellent title and then retired. Even after he retired, whenever I picked up a leash, he was ready and willing to go. When he was 13, we found a lump that turned out to be cancer. My beautiful golden boy died June 29, 2008.
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Name: Bill & Maribeth Girard Pet Name: Abby |
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.
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Name: Kelly Kaliszewski Pet Name: Cain |
Story:
I would like to be able to say that I chose Cain, but truth be told he chose me. I can still remember when my son brought him home that summer of 1999. He was the funniest looking little puppy, with pink saggy skin and the most homely expression you've ever seen. We all laughed at this funny little guy, while my son made remarks about his eyes and the fact they were two different colors, one blue eye and one eye brown. Cain lived with my son for the first year and half of his life, went off to college with him and soon went "missing in action" for 2 months. For reasons I can't explain, I felt a strong connection to Cain. After several weeks, everyone else was ready to give up on finding him and as a last ditch effort, I took out a large ad in the paper and a woman called to say she had him. It was shortly after that when Cain came to live with me. Cain was an American Bulldog, and was often the recipient of wary looks. The worst thing Cain could do was greet you with a great big bully smile and wipe slimy slobber across your leg. He loved everyone he met and didn't care about the prejudices that surround the bully breeds. A lesson we can all learn from. Cain's life was plagued with problems. From an early age he suffered with choking and swallowing issues, which generally resulted in aspiration pneumonia. I was always on guard, getting periodic x-rays, which usually were followed by antibiotics. It was a preventive x-ray in April 2008 that found a mass in Cain's lung and prompted a trip to Colorado State University Animal Cancer Center. Cain had been a patient years earlier, and they have an excellent reputation; I knew he would be in great hands. Further tests were done, and the diagnosis of a primary lung tumor became another chapter in our lives. Without knowing anything about cancer, I remember being relieved that his cancer had not started somewhere else in his body, only to find out later the complexities of lung tumors. I've written a blog about the ups and downs of my experience at http://www.wishcuit.com/cain. I made the decision to have the lung lobe removed, and our lives returned to normal, for the most part, until October 2008 when a new tumor was found in a neighboring lung lobe. This time surgery was not an option and chemotherapy treatments proved futile. I lost Cain on November 12, 2009. On the last day of his life, we took a slow walk along a favorite trail in the sunshine. It was bittersweet and like all of our time together, a moment I'll cherish forever. He was my favorite teacher, teaching the most important subject of all...the meaning of a moment. We lived life to the fullest. He was my best friend, truly remarkable and my one in a million dog. I will be forever grateful to the CSU Animal Cancer Center for the extra time I was given with Cain. He had much more to teach me in the extra time I was given, and I miss him more than I can say. Hopefully I'll make him proud from wherever he is watching now. He really did have the most beautiful blue eye...love you buddy. k (An excerpt from a story I wrote that is featured on the CSU Animal Cancer Center website).
Name: Leslie Stanley
Pet Name: Rival
Story or Memory:
Rival was my heart and soul. A 6 year old Golden Retriever and Obedience Trial Champion. He and I had a bond and a partnership beyond words. He was my working obedience competition partner and my best friend. He started having episodes where he would just lie down and didn't want to get up. Xray showed a mass on his spleen. He went for surgery and after surgery the vet called to tell me that while he was resting comfortably, it appeared to be a cancerous spleen that he removed. About an hour later he called me again and told me to come quickly - that by boy was crashing. I got there as fast as I could and held him and begged him not to leave me. He died in my arms and they had to pull me away from him hysterical. I lost my heart that day and nothing will ever be the same without him.
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Name: Amanda Collins Pet Name: Sysco |
Story:
Our nine and half year old Yellow Lab died of cancer today. He showed no signs of being sick then all of the sudden he was having trouble breathing and it went down hill from there. For two short months, while on Prednizone and a cancer drug, Sysco fought for his life. He showed signs of improvement, yet the tumors continued to grow. Sysco found it extremely hard to breathe on the last day of his life. Ending the pain for him but not for his family, he was put to sleep. He will be missed so much and up to the minute of his death, he was happy dog, full of life and not a mean vein corsing through him. We love you Sysco! In the photo is Sysco's nine year birthday party spent with his family. My daughter, Emma Collins is standing with Sysco; this dog was her pride and joy, and her best friend.
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Name: Ronnie Pet Name: Binky |
Story:
Our beloved 10 year old female German Shepherd Binky passed away four weeks ago on 11/15/2009. She was doing just fine and happy not one week earlier. Then she threw up a couple times, looked more tired. She kept sniffing her rear so I thought she needed an anal gland expression even though she had one not 12 weeks earlier. She had anal gland issues prior and after an abcess and surgery for one side and resulting open fistulas for 2008 along with painful treatment we were determined to always take care of her there. So we took her to the vets office who took her in the back for an expression. Time passed and I finally said "gee it has been a long time...". Finally the vet came out and told us that our beautiful baby had at least a golf ball sized tumor where her gland had once been. We were referred to the surgical center. The next morning her entire underside of her tail had swollen and defecating was painful. We got her to the surgical center for examination. The news was not good. They said the mass inside was large and extended in farther than the ultrasound could even show and that it extended from 8pm to 2pm around her colon. The surgeon said it was one of the worst he had seen. They said that it was anal sac adenocarcinoma and that due to the size it was impossible to remove the tumor. The only thing they could offer was surgery to do a bigger biopsy to try and figure out what chemo could be done but that the chemo would only be palliative. They told us that it really could not be anything else by ACA. And since surgery was out and we did not want to inflict chemo on her with no hope for remission, they could offer palliative treatments of pain killers and anti-inflamattories. We took her home crying. She had battled so much in the past including a years recovery from a normal anal saculectomy. We knew that because of the thinness of her rectal skin that we could not even risk any more surgery. By that night, she ran in fear from medication. She bucked in our arms when we tried to put cream on her rear because it hurt to touch it and the skin under the tail inflammation started to tear open and began bleeding. With torn out hearts we decided to stop. Stop trying to force medicine down her, treat the area. She was grateful for this and it was easy to see. We knew though also that if we tried to keep her, the pain would just keep increasing, the wound would not heal and the dog we so loved like a child would be in constant pain. And in the end we only would have been keeping her for us. So on Monday morning, we gave her a treat, took her to the park for a slow walk, gave her a ride in the car and then went to the surgical center. She wagged and kissed my face, which killed me to my very core. She probably thought it was another surgical visit and we would go home and she would get better. She passed away held deeply in my arms. God I miss her. I wish I had her back.
Name: Tracey Burrows
Pet Name: Wylie
Story or Memory:
My husband Carl and I lost our beloved Wylie on 11/04/09, a 9 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He was riddled with cancer, his liver, spleen and lungs, it happened so quick , one day he was running around and it seemed like the next day we had to make the extremely difficult decision to let him go. He was our little furry angel. He will never be forgotten, mommy and daddy love you so!
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Name: Patty Costley Pet Name: Chester |
Story:
Chester was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. It was devastating. We went to a specialist, and he went through his chemo treatments like a champ, and went into remission. About a year and a half later, he had another bout of cancer. At this point in time, we were told that he had a 30 percent chance to live a year. He went through his treatments again, and went into remission again. Almost 7 years after his original diagnosis, Chester is still here with us, and is a happy and healthy dog. We are passionate about this cause, and I wanted to share this because miracles do happen. He is such a joy in our lives. We are blessed and thankful every day for the chance to spend another day with him.
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Name: barbara skorjanc Pet Name: half pint |
Story:
I lost my little half pint to a brain tumor in oct of 2009, he was not even a year old yet.I noticed him holding his head to one side and thought he might have an ear infection.Our vet started him on antibotics and we thought he would be fine in a few days,but he stopped eating and drinking.He was very dizzy and had to be helped when going outside to potty.The vet sent us home with an Iv in my baby's leg,we learned how to give him fluids twice a day and hand fed him soft food.The vet changed antibotics 3 times and each time it seemed that he would respond then he would go down hill again.I held him, prayed for him, told him how much he meant to me and he tried so hard to get better but he just could not fight it, I took him to the blessing on the animals at church and he tried really hard to sit up and get his cookie for being such a good puppy.Finally on the last vet visit we decided that the fight was over and we prayed and told him we loved him for the last time, everyone in the office had tears in their eyes,even our vet,for half pint had won everyones hearts...I love you and miss you,mommies little baby half pint.
Name: Audrey Wyland
Pet Name: Shadow
Story or Memory:
Our dog Shadow was a fighter. At the age of 12 she under went a complete mastectomy on her left side wich got all of her cancer out. At the age of 16 however, her cancer came back. I t was recomended to us that we not operate because of her age. We had to put her to sleep a few months later because her condition got so bad. She was the best dog. My husband had her since she was 4 weeks old. I wish there would have been a cure for her cancer, because if not for the cancer, I think Shadow would still be here.
Name: Ricci
Pet Name: Casey Sundae
Story or Memory:
This story is one of a sweet precious pup that was supposed to be gift for Christmas for my 2 children who were 5 and 11 years old. In 2001 I walked into the city pound and with every intention of "just looking around" I saw this precious little angel sitting in this huge kennel on the hard cold concrete floor all by herself. She was no bigger than a pound of coffee and had little tiny short legs. I asked if I could just hold her for a minute. One touch and that was all it took. She stole my heart from that very moment and never left my side for the next 8 years. In November of 2005 I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, breast cancer. As a single Mom I had no one to lean on, no one to hold my hand. But amazingly in the midst of all of the turmoil and fear I had, the pain of surgery, chemo and radiation there was one angel who always comforted me, lay beside me, loved me when I felt unloveable and let me cry on her more times than I could count. Without Casey I don't know how I would have survived. She saved my life from cancer. On Sunday October 26, 2009 Casey acted as though she didn't feel well and had gone to bed with my fiancee' who grew to love her as much as I had. I got her up to go out once more before bedtime and she collapsed. I rushed her to the ER along with my son and after waiting and waiting they came into the room with ultrasound in hand to show me that Casey had hemangiocarcomas on her liver and she was bleeding internally. The Dr's had given her fluids and she had perked up a little, but was still very critical. He explained the cancer was extremely advanced and that she could not survive surgery if even through the night. I stayed there in the room with her for 4 hours, played with her, loved and kissed on her and gave her a final birthday party. See, her birthday we imagined was on Halloween so every year she got a cupcake on her special day. We sang and celebrated right there in the ER, cupcakes and all. Oh how she enjoyed that and it did my heart good to give her that moment. Soon thereafter I said goodbye to my sweet angel as the Dr. gave her a sedative before humanely euthanizing her. I held her and kissed her until her last breath was gone. My heart aches and I am angry that the one who helped me survive was taken by this horrible disease. She is my love, my child, my best friend and she will be missed more than words can express. I love you my sweet Casey. Mommy
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Name: Dana Jablonski Pet Name: Rubysue |
Story:
Ruby was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma. She started getting blood blister like bumps under her belly in march of 2006 that we later discovered was cancer. The vet told us that the only answer was chemotherapy, with out it she maybe had nine months. I did some research on line and found that only ten percent of dog survive one year after Chemo. To me this was not good odds and I did not want to put her through chemo. I have always been a firm believer in natural supplementation and did some research on line and could only find information on people with cancer that go good results with supplementation. I felt I had nothing to lose so I started Ruby on multiple supplements and decided to just take what the people were using and cut the amounts in half. It has now been over three years and Ruby is continuing to feel good and she has much energy. We Even got a new puppy to help her attitude as she is home alone alot. She spends lots of time playing with Zuky and we continue to use the supplements. I am grateful for the products that we use as I do believe they have stopped the progression of the cancer, or at least slowed it down . Ruby is now thirteen and has a good quality of life.
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Name: Deb Antoniades Pet Name: Violet |
Story:
Violet was a sweet little black Lab pup. She was timid about going up and down stairs and jumping into the back of our car, but she learned. She was a beautiful girl. At only 13 mos. of age, we had to say goodbye to her. She was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. She was having so much trouble breathing because of the location of the tumor. We miss her terribly. We'll never forget the year we spent together. Wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge, "co-pilot"...
Name: chele
Pet Name: Callie
Story or Memory:
In my heart I knew there was something wrong. I thought about taking her the vet before we went on vacation, but decided having her with me was more important. I'm glad now that I did take her, at least I had those 12 days of being with her. She had gotten very heat intolerant, and walked very very slowly. I thought it was because we were in the mountains in Colorado and the air is thinner there. She had been getting hard of hearing, but suddenly seemed almost completely deaf. She slept a lot too. She's 13 I kept telling myself, of course she's getting deaf and slow; old dogs sleep a lot. To add to her demise she had somehow managed to pull one of her toenails off on the camper steps. She never even cried about it. I knew she needed to go to her vet, so when we got home from vacation I made an appointment with the vet for Monday. The vet had an emergency so I ended up taking her Tuesday morning before work and leaving her there for her testing. Kelly called me at work to deliver the news. Callie had a tumor on her spleen the size of a cantaloupe and her lab results supported cancer. Hemangiosarcoma. There was no hope. Tears streamed down my face. I took the afternoon off and took her home with me. I spent the time doing the things she loved to do. We went out to the garden and a short walk around in the yard. I took her inside and took hundreds of pictures. I cried and told her over and over how much I loved her, even though she couldn't hear me. At five we took her to the vet. I held her head under my chin with my arms wrapped around her as the vet injected her; she never even struggled. She passed quickly and quietly and suddenly my Callie was just gone. We buried her in the back yard. I know I did the right thing. I know there was no hope and I know it was her time to go. She was in pain. I know they don't live forever. I know I did all I could to give her a good and happy life. She was my light, my joy. She was always a happy dog with a big smile on her face and a jaunty little jig that always brought a smile to my face. I'll never ever forget her.
Name: Rob and Kathy
Pet Name: Katy
Story or Memory:
Our beloved Katy was diagnosed with oral melanoma in September 2008. We opted not to do chemo as she was already 14 years old. We took an alternative approach and gave her Essiac tea until she would no longer drink it. It became a struggle to get her to eat so we finally made the very difficult decision to put her down and give her peace. Our beloved baby girl left us on August 8, 2009. You will be greatly missed. We will love you forever.
Name: Mary Ellen Muncey
Pet Name: Cricket
Story or Memory:
My beautiful 11 year old Cocker Spaniel died Monday (7/13/09) in surgery. She went into the vet to have her spleen removed due to a lump that showed up on the xrays( my story is similar to Willies). The vet come out to tell us the lump was malignant cancer, an aggressive form and there was nothing she could do. Like Steve and Jen, we made the decision to sent her to The Rainbow Bridge during her surgery. We are totally devastated. I am constantly beating myself up with, if I had known sooner would the outcome be different? She was such a very special dog, a real part of our family. We spoiled her, she slept in our bed for over 11 years, went most places with us, ate with us, as you all can imagine, the void is tremendous.
Name: Kristi Pohly
Pet Name: Kali and Kaiya
Story or Memory:
I wanted to share my story of the loss of my two best friends, Kali and Kaiya. Kali and Kaiya were the best 2 golden retrievers a girl could ever ask for. Kali and Kaiya were sisters from the same parents, just different litters. Kali was a present to my sister when she was in college, however I soon adopted Kali as my own when my sister moved away to California. Right before inheriting Kali, I called Kali's breeder and they had another litter. My baby, Kaiya was the crazy one of the litter with the spunkiest personality. Her personality mirrored mine, so I knew she would be perfect. Kali and Kaiya were the best of friends to one another and my two best friends through many difficult obstacles in life. They were my consistent everyday "good things". For eight years we walked religiously at Wash Park all together, as I was known at the park as the girl with the two goldens. Kali and Kaiya were my hiking buddies, my running buddies, my car ride buddies, and most of all, my best buddies. Devastating news came in October 2008 when Kali was diagnosed with a primary lung tumor. Surgery was too expensive with no guarantee, so we gave Kali the best life possible for a month until she passed to the beautiful heavens above on November 8, 2008. Life was hard for Kaiya and I after Kali's passing, but we managed to be one another's support. Kaiya was truly spoiled being an "only child", as we did two walks a day in memory of Kali. Kaiya ate like a queen too, as I continued to cook steak and chicken meals for the two of them as I had when Kali got sick. Kaiya and I lived everyday in memory of Kali. Kaiya seemed to have the spirit of two dogs inside of her. Much to my disbelief, on June 6, 2009, Kaiya collapsed in my backyard and had convulsions. An urgent trip to our normal vet determined that her heart was enlarged, so we transferred Kaiya to an emergency vet facility. Once again I heard the horrible word cancer and immediately melted. Kaiya was diagnosed with aggressive Haemangiosarcoma. They drained the fluids from around her heart twice that day. They recommended putting her down put I could not. I spent five blessed days with Kaiya until she passed in my arms on June 10, 2009. The memory of my two babies lives on in my heart forever. I know they are little angels looking over me each and every day. It is now my mission to support and raise awareness for canine cancer in loving memory of Kali and Kaiya. I know our hearts will all come together again someday up at the Rainbow Bridge. Your mommy loves you Kal and Ky.
Name: Eric Turner
Pet Name: Nova
Story or Memory:
Nova was the most amazing dog I could have ever asked for. I got her as a puppy when I was in 6th grade. She was my first real responsibility. It was my job to raise her, and I did just that. We formed an amazing bond that will never be matched by anyone. She was my best friend. She got me through a lot of the hardships of life and I could never thank her enough for it. Nova was diagnosed with Hermangiosarcoma on June 21, 2009, and on June 22, 2009 I was forced to make the decision to put my baby girl down. She was only 7 years old, way to young for her to leave me. Now my best friend is gone and I don't know what to do or where to go. Nova was there for me through everything and now she can not be here for me during the hardest week of my life. I love her more than anything in the world and miss her terribly.
Name: Aimee Wagner
Pet Name: Pepper
Story or Memory:
Pepper was our first child. We got her before we were married when we were still in college. She was 11 1/2. Suddenly on April 7th when we got home she wasn't well. She had thrown up twice in the house which isn't too unusual for her because she would eat anything but she wouldn't eat her dinner. She went into the backyard and laid down and wouldn't come in. She came up to the back door when I got home and she was struggling to stand there. I felt her belly and it wasn't right. My husband put her in the van and took her to the Vet ER. When they got there her gums were pale (like white) and they took her blood and she was anemic. They did an ultrasound and found a tumor on her spleen and she was bleeding internally. They suspect it was cancer and it had already spread. They offered emergency surgery to give her 2-4 more months with Chemo. But we couldn't do that to her. At this point she was struggling to breathe. He called me and someone watched the kids so I could go say goodbye. She came in the room and laid on the blanket and licked our faces and told us she was ready. It breaks our heart to be without her.
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Name: Paula Smith Pet Name: Brandy |
Story:
Three months and 17 days ago I had to send my baby, Brandy, to heaven ahead of me. It was so hard. I miss her every day and look forward to being with her again. She was my best friend and my sole mate. She was by my side for everything for almost eleven years, helping me through many hardships in my life. She was always happy and strong, right up to the very end. Brandy came into my life when I was 23 and she was 6 weeks old. She helped me grow into the woman I am today. From the day I picked her out of that special litter, she was the most important thing in my life. She had this glow around her of love. She always wanted to be petted and play. She never seemed to out grow her puppiness. She was also so incredibly smart and had me very well trained. I always knew exactly want she wanted (and she usually got it.) In April 2008, I felt swollen glands on her neck which our vet was afraid it was lymphoma. The biopsy confirmed this on April 21st and on the 22nd we started chemo. Brandy bravely fought the cancer for almost 10 months. We traveled two hours away from home just about every week for the chemo. I never hospitalized her because she would have hated to be away from me. We tried so many chemo combinations. Her remissions were too short, but she kept on enjoying life. During those special 10 months that we were given, we spent even more time together than ever. We took lots of special hikes and our first and only motor home trip. We cuddled a lot. Gratefully we also had another Christmas together and Brandy celebrated her 11th birthday on January 22nd. On January 31st, I could tell she was getting tired. That was Saturday. By Monday, she was lethargic and the vet confirmed that worst…the cancer had spread to her internal organs. I gave her fluids at home for almost another two more weeks in what the vet called hospice. I gave her all the love I had until she stopped eating and she wouldn’t get up any more. Then I had to tell her it was okay to go to sleep and send her on to heaven ahead of me. I miss her every day but I know she is happy and healthy again chasing those squirrels in heaven. She was my baby and gave me unconditional love every day and never outgrew her puppylike behavior until the cancer took it from her. (Thank you for loving me, Brandy.)
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Name: Thomas and Trevy McDonald Pet Name: Brandi |
Story:
Brandi, our 10-year-old German Shepherd, taught us to really persevere through life’s challenges. On Monday, May 12, 2008 she was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. She had a very large tumor in a lymph node in her abdomen that pressed on her bowel, two anal sac gland tumors the size of baseballs and metastasis in her chest. The oncologist told us she might live for 2 weeks with the help of prednisone. That night I asked my Dad, who has Alzheimer’s, if she should have surgery. He told me, “No. People with tumors need to change the way they feel about others.” That’s just what Brandi did. The next morning the vet student called and told me that Brandi got into a bit of trouble at the vet hospital. She kept escaping from her cage and removing her catheter and IV. She showed her fighting spirit and that she was still full of life and the oncologist offered to try radiation and chemo to give her a few more months. She also visited a holistic vet who recommended a change in diet. He too thought she might live a few more months. Six months later the anal tumors were the size of golfballs. The oncology team called her The Wonderdog. On April 28, 2009, just two weeks shy of a year after diagnosis, Brandi crossed the Rainbow Bridge and was greeted by her myspace buddies who preceded her. Brandi, who lived a full life, having starred in a TV commercial and having both a children’s book and screenplay written about her, chased rabbits just days before the cancer paralyzed her legs. Her story is available on her myspace blog. www.myspace.com/brandisurfstheweb
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Name: Monica Kielar Pet Name: Sneakers |
Story:
One week before Christmas, 2007, my family leanred that our little Sneakers had lymphoma. Our family decided that we would go ahead with treatment as long as Sneakers continued with his high quality of life. The weekly then monthy trips to the specialist were tough on everyone, but it was such a joy to see our little Sneakers play, misbehave and act as he always had. Our Sneakers was a fighter. He continued to chase the cat, go for car washes (and try to attack the water), fall asleep with my dad right after dinner, protect his loved ones and enjoy long walks in the neighborhood and forest preserves until his last day. Sadly, At the end of January, 2009, the cancer spread to Sneakers' liver and the specialist said the outlook didn't look good. As a family, we decided to put Sneakers down on February 2nd, after he enjoyed watching the Super Bowl. It has been 2 1/2 months since my best buddy left my side. The house is quiet, my bed is empty and my heart is broken. I will always miss him and will never find another like him.
Name: Robin Nugent
Pet Name: Pebbles
Story or Memory:
I have struggled over the last three months trying to save my faithful friend pebbles, I thought progress was being made with budwig programme her bone tumour seemed to be responding showing no more pain, now tonight I find she cannot stand, I have dilemma as they say with cancer after such treatments things get worse before they get better, so I will see how things develop. I do realise at times like these its good to have contact with others whom have gone through such sadness as I am going through at the moment. God Bless you all.
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Name: Shana, Dan and Ambrose Cronican Pet Name: Miss Pearl |
Story:
This is the story of my forever friend and soul sister, Pearl, a more than beautiful samoyed/husky mix. Over 13 years ago (when, I, too was a young 20 years old), we watched Pearl being brought into this world by her samoyed mother, Indica. Indica, who we lost almost 2 years ago to a very aggressive brain cancer, was my twin sister's dog and forever friend (who, by chance, couldn't get fixed b/c of a heart murmur). It was Sunday, January 7th, 1996. Of all the gorgeous pups, 8 white, one black and white, with eyes of blue or blue and brown--I chose Pearl, a close to runt size little lady with two brown eyes who always crossed her paws, still does. I didn't know then that decision would remarkably bless my life in so many ways that her time with me is indescriable. On Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 Pearl was diagnosed with stage 3 Primary Liver cancer after a biopsy taken Feb. 10. Pearl was up to date on all shots, just received a senior wellness profile at the end of November, tooth extraction at the same time and nothing. It wasn't until Feb. 6, when I brought her to the vet b/c of "inconstinence" or leaking that I suspected something was gravely wrong. She did eat alittle less and played less but she was 13 and still enjoyed a squirrel chase in the yard and begging for my 2 year old son's breakfast. At this time, we discovered she had fluid in her abdomen and very low alburin counts. Still, that is the only marker on her blood panel. There is nothing they can do. I am currently treating her homeopathically in order to ease the pain and when I see the happiness from her face disappear, I know I will have to make the decision to send her over the Rainbow Bridge. Words cannot explain the love I feel for Pearl and the love she has for my family and myself. It was just me and her for 6 years till I met my husband. We have went on 10's of thousands of walks, trips to the dog park, (she loved getting muddy), all across the country, and through so many apt.'s/houses, etc. Every one of those days, my night was better, b/c Pearl laid down next to me. She was a loner, who tolerated other dogs, but certainly was the queen of her castle. Even in her mature years, enjoyed a good nap in the sun, a frolic in the snow, and would lift her nose to the cold winter breeze. An avid beggar, Pearl enjoyed many things in life. She was also quite the kisser and relished a good scratch. Pearl is my best friend in more ways than I can name and the memories go on forever. It will be a sad day when those memories will be the only thing left of our time together, but, I will never forget the love, loyalty, and friendship we had and it has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I knew this time would come, but was never quite prepared. You can never prepare yourself to say goodbye to an old, faithful friend. I will love and miss you everyday, Miss Pearl!
