FACES OF COURAGE GALLERY
This page is dedicated to those who have been
diagnosed or lost to canine cancer. Please Click on any name
to see their photo and to read the words of remembrance, wisdom
and experiences as written by their loving owners. You may
find these tributes to be both heartfelt and heartbreaking
at the same time. They will also provide some comfort where
you will feel that you are not alone in your feelings and may
even give you hope. If you think you may benefit from speaking
with others about your situation or simply would like support
from those who know what you are going through, we encourage
you to consider joining a support group. We have dedicated
a special page of support groups for owners of dogs with cancer
should you be interested.
The candles that are lit beside each picture
are in honor of their courageous fight and the ribbons beside
their names are to stress they will never be forgotten. Because
this page will unfortunately be a constant "work in progress",
please check back often. If you would like to have your dog's
photo and story on this page, please e-mail your photo, in
.jpg format, along with a brief write-up to info@caninecancerawareness.org and
we will post it for you. Your write-up may include who your
fur-baby is/was, what he/she means/meant to you, your experiences
with battling the cancer or simply a tribute to your wonderful
pet. A small donation to Canine Cancer Awareness would be appreciated
to help defray the costs of maintaining our web site to provide
this service.
Bentley
UPDATE 5-1-09 —
Bentley had surgery on April 15, having the initial lump removed, as well as 4 other skin growths.
He did very well with his recovery and the stitches were removed earlier this week.
The path report came back and it is Stage 2 becuase the cancer had spread to the surrounding tissue.
I'm now consulting with a canine oncologist to discuss next steps, which appears to be some radiation therapy.
Thanks so much for asking and for putting my story on your site.
—Susan (and Bentley)
UPDATE 4-12-09 —
I am blessed to be owned by a 9-year-old pug named Bentley. From the time I saw him at 8 weeks old, it was love at first sight! He's not the most athletic dog, or the prettiest, but has a wonderful personality. He is a people lover, and people can't help but love him. Bentley is a visiting dog at a health care facility and the residents enjoy his company.
Bentley is loyal and loving, sensitive and affectionate. The best part of my day is every night when we get into bed and he snuggles up for some cuddle time before we go to sleep. We have a very special bond and he is very much a "momma's boy."
About a week ago I noticed a lump in the wrinkles of his neck and brought him to the vet just days later. After a needle aspiration, mast cell cancer was the diagnosis. He is scheduled for surgery on April 15. I've been devastated since getting the news but am hoping for the best
— Susan
Kobi
UPDATE 3-24-09 —
We got Kobi in November of 2000, right before Thanksgiving, from a couple who had rescued him and then couldn’t keep him. I knew he was ours when we met and he gave me a kiss on my nose and put his head in my hands. We brought him home and loved him for 9 years. We all spoiled him rotten, a result of his cute face and sweet soul. He loved to go for walks with his Papa and have Mama give him chin scratches. He always remembered the Marina and dog park, loved his car rides and spun circles when we brought home In-n-Out hamburgers, knowing there was a patty in the bag for him. When our daughter was born in 2008, he became a best friend; giving kisses, guarding her crib and snuggling up to her. He loved going to get her out of her crib after naptimes and she lit up around him.
In January, we noticed he was getting tired on his walks, and often crept off into our closet for naps or quite time. We and the vet thought he might be feeling the effects of old age. When he showed symptoms of a possible kidney infection in February, we tried antibiotics to no avail. So we tried a blood test, and kidney, liver and diabetes were fine. Cancer wasn’t ruled out, but none of his symptoms seemed to point in that direction. He slowly became more lethargic and depressed, which the vet thought could be emotional, due to the baby learning to crawl, so we were vigilant.
Slowly his good days became fewer and fewer and bad days worse. Finally he stopped eating, so back to the vet we went. The x-ray showed fluid in his abdomen, which was blood and the subsequent ultrasound showed a splenic mass which was hemorrhaging and likely to rupture soon. There were also signs of stomach cancer, probably due to the mass and its aggressive nature. It was simply too late to do more than maybe give him 2-3 months, most likely in more pain than he was already in. In the end, we decided to relieve his pain and not let the disease eat him alive, and we put him to sleep. He died the same way he met us, a kiss on the nose and his head in my lap.
We miss him so much and wish we had known sooner, but Kobi gave us so much in his 9 years that in the end, we can only be grateful for the time we had. We will remember him always, chin propped up on the lower shelf of the coffee table, dancing in place when it was time to walk, waiting at the door for us when we came home, licking Cool Whip off his nose at Thanksgiving and Christmas and giving us all the love in his heart. Rest in peace Roofy-Roo, and know that you are remembered always with love.
— Marissa
Zoe Bell
UPDATE 3-9-09 —
Our names are Linda and Rick Bell and our much beloved little girl's name was Zoe. We lost the fight with cancer on March 1, 2009. She was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma tumor in November of 2008. We immediately had it removed and then saw the oncologist. Because this type of cancer goes directly to the lungs, we had to make sure that it hadn't done so before we started radiation. We were so happy to find out that it had not and immediately started the radiation treatments. She finished her last one in January and was given a clean bill of health. We thought we had beat it. We were wrong. It had metastasized to her lungs and there was nothing we could do. We miss her so much, Hugs and kisses always little girl. We will love you always.
— Rick and Linda Bell
Maximus Mueller
March 2001 — January 3, 2009
UPDATE 1-6-08 —
In March of 2001, a family member’s yellow lab, Sonny, gave birth to ten puppies all mixed with Boxer. I had only met the Boxer father once up skiing. He was tall and charming. The owners said he was from champion blood! The largest, stockiest and by far the cutest (in my eyes) of all the puppies was my Maximus. Gauging his size at birth, we all knew he would grow to be a very large dog, and of course he did (110 lbs)!
At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted a dog yet, let alone a large dog since I had just moved into my first home knowing my yard would never be the same. But at two months old, Max stole my heart and I couldn’t resist. (I loved the way he nestled up to my chest!)
My son, Tristen was just a year old when we took Maximus home. They were so cute together that summer - Tristen crawling on all fours and Max jumping around right beside him. I can just see the two of them smiling and playing right now! They were inseparable! Max was very patient with my son, watching over him playing in the sand box. My son would ride Max like a horse. Max slept right by Tristen’s side practically every night.
Almost eight years later, I reminisce on all the great times we had with Maximus. Two hour trips to the ocean to play in the sand and waves. Fun with his pug pal, Abigail, and holiday visits with his mom, Sonny and recently, playing in the park and on the beach with a couple new friends, Lincoln and Lucy. I loved looking in my side mirror of the car on rides to see his big head popped outside the window with his wonderfully soft black ears flapping in the wind and his adorable black and white spotted freckles on his curled up nose sniffing the air.
Max loved the beach. Max wasn’t big on fetching or swimming though. We’d throw out a stick into the water and Max, although seemingly determined to go in after it, would just jump into the water up to his chest and return back to shore forgetting about the stick! We had a favorite trail to hike that led to a little remote part of the beach. One summer, my son and Max got too close to the cliff and before I could scream ‘come away from there’, Max’s back paws slipped under him and down, down, down he went! Tristen and I were so scared. We went back to my car to call the fire department. Fifteen minutes and many, many tears later, while sitting in the car still on the phone with the TFD trying to convince them through the whaling that ‘yes, it’s my dog you must come rescue’, Max came trotting right up to me very concerned as if to say ‘what’s wrong?’ He knew that trailhead on the beach so well, he found his long way back to the car without one scratch on his body! We were in awe!!
Max loved the snow as well. When he came skiing with us, he enjoyed galloping up and down the slopes trying to catch the kids on sleds or the lift. And he loved snowballs! Eating them and getting hit by them!
Max was the best guard dog. He picked up on people with amazing accuracy. He’d make sure the person was of quality character before letting them enter our yard. A few years back, a friend’s boyfriend came over to do some work for me in my kitchen. Max went nuts refusing to let this guy through the gate even after “patting him down” with his nose. I couldn’t figure it out! This guy had dogs of his own and was very gentle, so I thought. Come to find out, he was an abusive spouse! Although, we never had an incident again quite like that, I was comforted in knowing Max was definitely on top of his duties to protect his family. I have the grass-torn dog run around my fence to prove it! Maximus was our security system!
Max was such a personable dog. He was a gentle soul who was always so patient with children. As enormous as he grew, he still loved to sit on my lap…..my big lap dog! I am convinced that Max was a puppy inside a large dog’s body! People mistook him for a great dane at times but even though they couldn’t quite identify his breed, he was always lavished with compliments about how handsome and BIG he was. And he loved those drive-thru attendants who handed out bone biscuits!
Sadly, Maximus was diagnosed with lymphoma on November 4, 2008 at 7 1 yrs old after quickly becoming ill with loss of appetite and thirst and fever for a little over a week. He had lost 5 pounds in that short time. Unfortunately, there were no earlier detectable signs except noticing soft fatty deposits under his skin, which the vet always assured me was normal and most likely benign.
Because the cancer was so widespread on ultrasound, I chose not to pursue chemotherapy. He was in stage IV+ of the cancer. I kept Max on a high protein/fat diet with the integration of organic veggies/fruit and vitamin supplements and minimized commercial dog food. I cooked him a hot healthy homemade meal each night. He remained on Prednisone at 20mg. In addition, he received daily massage, grooming, and walks, and on the weekend we took him on big outings to his favorite local parks. One of Max’s visibly protruding growths actually shrunk in size but unfortunately, he succumbed to liver failure on January 3, 2009.
There is no other way to put it, cancer sucks for both people and pets and it’s never easy to lose someone to a disease we cannot totally control or pinpoint the exact etiology. With vet care expense rising, I would hope that screening for cancer can become part of a well-dog annual exam. Had we got it sooner, it could have been treatable.
It's difficult coming home and not seeing his puppy face through the slats on the gate greeting us with joy. My son seems to miss him the most at bed time and at baths when Max used to always be right by him like a security blanket. We are just glad he is out of pain. He had a rough last month. But like a good loyal boy, he stayed around until the holidays were over, knowing that was our last wish.
Maximus was very well loved by our family, and I do believe he knows how much we will miss him until we all get to see him again. You were our security, loyal family member, and lots of fun! I will miss our adventurous walks with the invisible leash!
Max, you will always and forever be my furry BFF!
— Roxy Mueller
Queen Millifoil Toes ( Millie )
UPDATE 1-3-08 —
My name is Hope Duncan Hammonds and my beloved canine's name is Millie. She was given to me by my father 8 years ago. She got her name because she made me so happy, like a wonderful day I had with my toes in the millifoil (seaweed in the lakes of Alabama). Her official name was Queen Millifoil Toes and I've called her Millie ever since. She's my child, my best friend. She helped me through a divorce and my father's murder in November 2006.
On December 27, 2008 she was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma. I am devastated but trying to be strong for Millie. I am faithful and believe in a Miracle for Millie. She started chemo on December 29th and is doing well. We are seeking more than an average remission, we believe in Miracles and are looking for many more years together.
— Hope
Feynman "Dwarf" Dunn
March 31, 2002 — October 18, 2008
UPDATE 11-4-08 —
My wife and I picked Feynman up at his breeder in the late spring of 2002.
He was our second Corgi and he was the cutest little puppy I had ever seen.
Feynman was suppose to be "my wife's dog" this time around as our 1 year old
little girl corgi had taken to me. Well before we could even get back home
Feynman was already a "Daddy's Boy".
Feynman lived up to his name as being one of the smartest dogs I've ever
been around (he was named after the famous physicist Richard Feynman). The
next 6 1/2 years with Feynman would turn out to be some of the best years of
my life. He quickly became "My little Buddy", "Mr. Man", and alpha dog and
best friend to his old corgi sister Snuffles and his bigger baby sister
Heidi (a Bernese Mountain Dog).
Feynman had a zest for life that I've never seen nor probably will see again.
Together we played soccer everyday for the past 5 years. He even made sure
I played soccer with him while still on crutches recovering from foot
surgery. We laid on the couch together and watched so many hours of TV
together....I believe his favorite was "Deadliest Catch" on the discovery
channel as he would jump down and get the TV every time the radar went by on
the screen. Feynman had a incredible ability to find and rip out any
squeaker out of any toy within a few minutes of getting it. He was handful
at times but always the sweetest furry kid when he got caught in the act.
Feynman was doing great even pasted his wellness exam in late August with
flying colors....(I think he had studied hard for it though). But in very
early September I came home to find some pee on the floor. Not a big deal
as I can just mop it up. Well the next day it was the same thing and again
the next day. Well on the fourth day I decided I was going to find out
which dog it was. I wasn't mad or anything just concerned. It turned out
to be Feynman.
Well I took him to the vet....and over the next month had ever blood and
urine test know to man run and all it ever showed was his urine was very
diluted. Which I believe as I later saw he was drinking all the water in
the house. Sometimes as much as 8 cups or more a day. His size he should
only be drinking around 3-4 cups a day.
Anyway after a month of this and no testing showing what was wrong I was
really getting worried as to what could be wrong with him. Well around
October 6th I noticed Feynman was slow about eating but he would still eat
when one of his sisters came around. Another trip to the vet and more test
showing no sign as to what it could be. My vet had a long list of things to
check for that could cause excessive drinking and everything was coming back
negative.
Well on Sunday the 12th Feynman stopped eating all dog food so I made him
some chicken and rice and he ate that up really well. He did it Monday
morning as well and evening but Tuesday morning he was a little slow about
eating again. Tuesday night he wouldn't touch anything in the house so I
went to Sonic (drive-in) and got him a corny dog....(not healthy but he had
to eat). I picked him up a couple so he would have one for Wednesday
morning as well. I also noticed that he seemed to have a hard time
breathing like he was always out of breath.
I made him a appt. for the vet on Wednesday for Thursday morning so he could
get a sonogram and the last of the blood work up that the vet thought he
would need. I got a call at work Thursday that they found that Feynman had
some fluid around his lungs so they wanted to cancel the blood work and take
a x-ray. Well the vet called me Thursday afternoon and said she needed to
see me right away. I raced over to the vets office and she showed me the
sonogram results. The sonogram showed 10 of his lymph nodes were the size
of grapes and they should be smaller than a pea. They were all internal so
we could have never felt them. She then showed me the x-ray and it was
shocking.
He had what looked like a softball size tumor in front of his chest pressing
his heart and lungs back and trachea up almost against his spine. She also
found a tumor on his heart around his aorta about the size of a golf ball.
I asked her what could be done and she said first she could drain off the
fluid around his lungs and then get him on some prednisone and then if we
wanted, meet with a oncologist for some radiation/chemo. She had already
forwarded everything to a Oncologist who told her everything she was about
to tell me. That even with radiation and chemo if Feynman survived long
enough for it to work a little he probably wouldn't last until Thanksgiving.
Without it he wouldn't last a week and a half....at most. I was shocked.
This was my baby boy. My best friend in the whole world. I've slept next
to this little guy for the past 6 years. I cried liked I've never cried
before. The pain was just too much to deal with. I was thinking at most he
might have to have some sort of surgery to help his peeing problem out and
now I'm being told he won't last 2 weeks.
I knew in my mind that I loved Feynman so much that I couldn't put him
through that. All I would get out of it was a little more time with him
and it would be at a cost of putting him through hell and back. So I
brought him to work with my on Friday for a few hours so I could get some
work done. Then I went home with him and waited for my wife to get in town.
We had pretty much discussed what we had to do in the coming week.
Friday night my little buddy was putting on such a good show for his momma
that he hadn't seen in 2 weeks. You couldn't almost tell there was anything
wrong with him....until he was running around for a minute or two and his
tongue started to turn blue from the lack of oxygen and I could tell that my
"little tough man" was scared. This only told me that what my wife and I
knew we had to do, was the right thing.
So Saturday morning October 18th we fed my little buddy an extra special
breakfast and played with him from 4 in the morning and took him down to the
vet to have him cross over the rainbow bridge. It was the hardest thing
I've ever done. I held him in my arms with my face against his as he
slipped away looking into his eyes the whole time. I wanted him to see me
and remember how much I loved him as he went to heaven. GOD help me for
what I had to do. I tried so hard to stay strong for him by not crying so
hard but it wouldn't last. I kissed him on his nose and heard his last
sigh....and I knew he was gone. I have never had such a feeling of loss in
my life. I would have taken the cancer out of him and given it to myself
if I could have saved him.
My wife and I have only been blessed with furry kids so they are my real
kids to me and it was like I had lost a real son....because to me I did.
I'm still struggling with the decision I had to make. I told the vet that
money wasn't a problem with whatever had to be done. She told me I could
have spent 10 grand and maybe had him for 30-45 days or less. I just
couldn't put him through that though. He gave me unconditional love for 6
1/2 years and I wasn't about to not give that love back to him.
I still can't believe he is gone. Every time I think about him I lose
it...and just start crying. I was mowing the other night in the back yard
where all of his soccer balls still lay and as I kicked them out of the way
all I could see was him chasing after them and I had to stop mowing and just
sit down and cried I know for 30 minutes.
I was so blessed to have had Feynman for 6 1/2 years. I just would have
given anything to have had him for 6 more. That's the selfish side of me I
suppose.
Feynman's final diagnose after all the test came back before he was put down
was (Mediastinal lymphoma) which can cause breathing problems or for some
dogs with mediastinal lymphoma may exhibit polyuria and polydipsia which is
excessive thirst/urination. I got his ashes back on Thursday, October
24th...so he is back home with me now.
Feynman's final diagnosis after all the test came back before he was put down
was (Mediastinal lymphoma) which can cause breathing problems or for some
dogs with mediastinal lymphoma may exhibit polyuria and polydipsia which is
excessive thirst/urination. I got his ashes back on Thursday, October
24th...so he is back home with me now.
I will always love and miss you "my little buddy".
— Austin Dunn
Marley
October 25, 1991 — October 3, 2008
UPDATE 12-3-08 —
I had a bichon frise named Marley who was 3 wks shy of his 17th birthday when he died on 10/3/08. He had hemangiosarcoma from a tumor on his spleen. It was detected when we were doing an ultrasound for his bladder issues. Being it was detected early I had 6 more months with him. When it spread to his liver he lasted only two weeks. He also had kidney failure the same time he came down with the tumor. He was too old and skinny to do anything about it. So I just made him as comfy as possible. He actually wasn't in pain that much just weak and not his usual self. I fed him twice as much as most dogs his size would get but he was underweight since the tumor most likely was taking all the nutrients from his body. One morning he just woke up and had pale white gums and I knew this was it.
Marley was my heart and soul dog he was everything to me. We were one heart.
He slept with me and the other dogs I had. He followed me around the house more and loved to go in the car with me we made several long trips together.
He was a very expressive dog and everyone loved him. The sad part was he was bonded with his buddy Dudley who had just died on 9/26/08 from old age at almost 18.
Marley died one week after Dudley I think to join his buddy forever.
We'll miss you forever boys,
— Love Stephanie and JJ my 7 yr old bichon
Baxter
UPDATE 12-9-08 —
This is Baxter's story. He was bought at a dog store by a woman that contacted my boss at a kennel, she was looking for a good home for him. We had just gotten Ernie earlier that same year from a breeder, but I just could not keep from falling in love with Baxter (they had named him Moose) when the lady brought him in. I told my then boyfriend (now husband) I had a surprise, he just knew it was a dog, but he too fell in love with Baxter. We bought a house with a yard big enough for the two dogs. Baxter and Ernie grew up together with our cat also, they could not stand to be apart for long periods of time. One would whine and sit waiting for the other to come walking through the door. This last October Baxter started vomiting a little, we took him to the vet, he did a barium with xrays and found something (thinking he had eaten carpet again). We tried special food and meds for a week, his vomiting got worse. Back to the vet again, they did exploratory surgery and found that his intestines were destroyed with cancer and a rock solid mass in his stomach. We decided not to make him suffer in selfishness, because throughout all his life he was unselfish with us and so happy go lucky. We put him down that day while he was sedated so that he would not suffer coming out of the sedation. We gave him the best life possible, he was so spoiled. I believe that Baxter would want us to give another dog what we gave him, a happy and loving life. So, I found two basset puppies at a rescue in Tn., talked my husband into adopting them and giving other dogs the same thing. I miss Baxter so much, no matter what no other dog will ever take his place in my heart. Little Max and Lady B have some of the same traits (habits) that Baxter had like with food Max drools, Lady runs between my husband and I for food at dinner, but the main thing that keeps reminding me of Baxter is the look that he gave me saying thank you.
Attached is a picture of Baxter sleeping on the couch like always with a pillow. I think he really believed he was human.
Abbey
UPDATE 12-10-08 —
Abbey was diagnosed with lymphoma on August 25th when we took her to dr thinking she had an inner ear infection, and her lymph nodes were swollen. She went through a lot having to go twice a week for shots and taking steriods and antibotics every day twice a day. And she fought a good fight for 3 1/2 months, but the cancer finally won out and she died lying at my feet under computer table at 5am 12/8/08. We truly miss her , she was the child my husband and I could never have. We got her as a puppy when she was 8 weeks old, and she was 5 1/2 when she died.
— Angie
Chloe
February 9, 1996 — December 4, 2008
UPDATE 11-30-08 —
My Chloe is the love of my life. For 12 years she has been my everything. Chloe has a long list of admirers. She has a personality that fills a room and demands that everyone play by her rules and pay attention to her. Opinionated and charismatic she has the love of many friends and family as well as all who meet her. Chloe spends the day will my retired parents while my husband and I are at work. She has my father on a tight schedule that involves hours of play time and sniffing outside, belly rubs, snacks, and naps. At home she is loved more than she could ever want. In August our little girl as diagnosed with mast cell cancer. At first you couldn't tell that she was sick. She was still as vivacious as ever. She is on her last days now. We will miss her more than you could ever imagine. It is like a part of my heart is going to leave with her. Chloe has made me the happiest and proudest mom. She has filled our lives with light. She will never ever be forgotten.
— Denise
Sara
UPDATE 12-14-08 —
Our donation was made in memory of Sara (an Australian Kelpie who lost her brave battle to Lymphosarcoma on 7/4/2007).
Her "mom's" (who is our daughter) name is Dawn. Here is a picture of precious Sara.
— Ron & Pat
Dakota
January 10, 2002 — June 5, 2008
UPDATE 11-23-08 —
This is our boy Dakota. He was my boy. He was our first flat coat retriever. It all started last May one day I noticed he wasn't eating as much
as he normally did, strange but he still ate some treats so I just thought I would keep an eye on him; then I noticed he wouldn't touch his food at
all, even the moist food seemed to be uninteresting. We took our Golden to the vet and had Dakota tag along also to see what she thought. She ran some
lab tests. Everything seemed OK. But he still wasn't eating and had lost some weight. Well, I asked her to xray him, I thought maybe something was up with his
belly. She took some films and when I picked him up that night she said she noticed something in the spleen, "but dont get too freaked," she will have a scan
done in the morning. So after I dropped him off, about 3 hrs later, she calls me at work. "Something with the spleen and it needs to come out now." She set up an
appointment with a surgeon to remove it that day. I ran him up to the next town; met the Dr. who was really a great guy. He informed us he has done spleenectomys before
and dogs can live without their spleen. I hope he is right. But he also said if it looked bad on the inside, like a rupture, he would call us while Dakota was under to
see what we wanted to do. I never in my life thought I would be hearing this; he was 6 yrs old. Well of course, when I came home I cried and cried and cried
and looked online about cancer of the spleen and was crushed, but did see that if it was contained there was a good chance with chemo. Whatever it took we were
planning on doing. Well we got the call, Dakota went through the surgery GREAT! No spread. The spleen did rupture but it looks like it was contained. Hopeful...
Our vet wanted us to get a culture to see what kind of cancer it was. To me it didn't matter what we were fighting and I told her we are doing what it takes. We have an
oncologist vet in the area so my vet confided with her. They ran the lab test STAT and I was crushed. It was the worst cancer possible. Dakota really didn't have a
chance. Histiosarcoma. Well we were determined to do what it takes, he was crashing pretty hard. We took him to a holistic vet who did acupuncture on him and had us
take home some tonics and tinctures and said "its bad but you guys look like you're ready to fight" and fight we did. We did chemo treatments with the holistic
remedies and we had one last GREAT month with him. He was eating again. His weight was up. I thought maybe all that I read about this cancer was wrong and maybe
we were one ODD that was beaten. My vet continued to say "Sue... this is bad, I want you to realize its one of the worst cancers." I wanted to prove her wrong. I
know she meant well. We were doing weekly vitamin B injections. We were walking again nights. He was wrestling with our other dog Riley. All was great until he hurt
his leg somehow. We took him to the clinic, ran some films, and they didn't see anything. Pain pills, rest, ice, love. We tried it all. Did some more lab tests and he was
anemic. We fought. We lost our battle when we took him to the vet one night for some routine blood work. His tongue had no color, he was really bad. We made the
hardest decision ever and I held my boy in my arms as he passed. There was not a dry eye in the room that night. My vet even cried. I know my boy fought as
hard as he could and I LOVE him so much and MISS him even more. And I don't think I will ever get over the pain. A few weeks later we got another flat coat, it's
actually his niece, we named her Dahlia. I see so much of him in her. It's bittersweet. So I still cry every now and then. Lately this month it's been more. He was
my first true love. I say my husband always said "that dog loves you" so I know I was his.
— Sue
Ollie R.I.P.
February 1, 1993 — July 17, 2008
UPDATE 11-05-08 —
Hey everyone,
We sent our beloved little Ollie to the Bridge on July 17, 2008. I know she is playing with my beloved angel Johannes in addition to all
of his new friends since I let him go this past October 5. Ollie was born around February 1, 1993 and she had a good long life. She was a
carefree companion, was never sick, and always ready to go on a hike with the rest of us. When I brought Georgie home this past April 15, many of
you may remember that Ollie peed in her bed that night and refused to eat on her own. Took her to the barely adequate vet care we have around here
and he drew blood and gave her a complete check up. Found not a thing wrong. I had to hand feed her delicate pieces of chicken and other meats and
eventually, she was back to her old self. Almost. I fed her up on the counter top because she was number 3 dog and if the others got done eating and
I was not watching they would eat her food. After her hunger strike, some evenings (and breakfasts) she did not appear to be very hungry and with a
little coaxing she would eat most of the time. Her greatest strengths were her speed and agility. I referred to her as my monkey dog. 95 % Dachshund and
5% rhesus monkey. She was only twelve pounds and had a vertcial leap of four feet. No kidding. At 15 years she started to bump into things around the house
and was obviously losing her vision. This affected her most in low light. It didn't slow her down much but she was not as sure of herself. As late as July 5th
we went on our usual five mile hike in the mountains around Pinos Altos, NM, and she ran like the wind. She could run circles around these pure Dachshunds.
This past week, starting around July 7, she seemed to again not be too interested in her food. She was never fat and had no extra weight she could lose
(unlike me) I took her to the vet around here and he took some x rays of her body (although she showed no visible problems) and gave her another checkup.
Normal temperature. Everything normal. I know the vet care here is barely adequate (basically cow and horse doctors) and I started to think about options.
When I got Ollie home on July 9, the vet sent some antibiotics along (although she showed no signs of having an infection) and that night she had something to
eat and drank on her own. On July 10, the spiral was getting tighter and she really took a turn for the worse. No food or water and was looking sicker than I
had ever remembered her being. Was so frustrating because the local vet could find nothing wrong. I prayed about it and came to decision to try and find out
what was wrong. Since she was not eating or drinking on her own and getting weaker by the hour we put her on fluids and nutrients while I contacted the
Arizona Veterinary Specialists in Gilbert, AZ. I picked her up from the local vet on Sunday afternoon (the 13th) She appeared weaker and very lethargic.
I took her home. She has been sleeping up on the bed with us for most of her life and I had bought a nice little bed for her. That night her breathing was
labored and her eyes had lost the sparkle she always had. I had thought then that this is the look so many of you talk about. We had already commited to
taking her to the internist at AVS and left early Monday morning. We got there and admitted her. The internist told me she needed to stay a couple of days
at least to stabilize her. I got home and made several calls that night and the next day. She was still not eating well and could get no definitife answer
to what was wrong. I drove over there again in Thursday (16th) and picked her up. She looked even worse. She looked so sick and weak. They had started her
on that nasty prednisone and she was so thirsty she struggled to drink on her own even though she could barely stand on her own. The discharge instructions
stated her red blood cell was extremely low and that she had pancreatis, spots on her liver and stomach, and I quote, "There is a possibility that Ollie
has a disease we have not diagnosed (immune-mediated red blood cell destruction, CANCER, underlying infection). Basically the report said she would not get
her strength back until she started eating well and drinking on her own (without prednisone) the weakness due to the extremely low red blood cell count.
The specialist did not know the reason for the low red blood cell count (possibly an undetected cancer) however so again more frustration. She also told
me Ollie would need to be given her food with a syringe for weeks and maybe months and see if she got her appetite back. I knew that that was not going to
be an option for us. She would also need to be carried outside and cleaned up. She was just so sick. This was a very expensive trip. I was a little
diasappointed that we had no definitive answer to what was wrong and found out she had many things going wrong at the same time. Systems were affecting
other systems and was snowballing. We got home that night and went to bed. My other two were being boarded. That night her breathing was very labored
and although she did not seem to be in any pain, was definitely not comfortable. Ollie was so weak she could barely stand on her own. I carried her outside
to pee and she peed and then sat in her own pee. Very uncomfortable. Had a little water on very wobbly legs (due to prednisone) I put her in her bed and
went to get my other two. Gretta, who is 17 now and raised Ollie from a pup (along with Johannes) and Georgie G. I let Gretta and Georgie G acknowledge
Ollie and then took her to the Humane Society. She was already struggling to breathe and when they gave her the shot to send her into a deep sleep, her
heart almost stopped. I had the feeling when she was in her deep deep sleep that she had already met Johannes and he was welcoming her to the bridge.
The final shot to stop her heart was very peaceful for her. I had the sense that she was released from her diseased (unknown) body and she was running
like the wind. I thank my Higher Power for the 15 years and 5 months we were together. I am grateful I was able to be with her when she drew her last breath.
I know this if a very long note and for those that are still reading, thank you. It is comfort to me that I got all of this down. The following is part of a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to John Adams:
"It is some comfort to us both that the time is not very distant in which we are to deposit our sorrows and suffering bodies and ascend to an ecstatic meeting with the friends we have loved and lost and whom we shall still love and never leave again. God support you and your heavy affliction."
— Thomas Jefferson
— Tim, angels Ollie and Johannes, Gretta and Georgie G
Annabelle Lee Mattheis
Rotten Doby (doberman/rottweiler cross)
UPDATE 10-17-08 —
My girl, my best friend, my angel in a fur suit...today she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
I still can’t fully wrap my mind around that. I am making appointments with oncologists, whoa.
I wish I could go through this for her. She is the sweetest girl, with ears like velvet and the biggest heart.
She likes to stand in the yard and talk to the neighborhood, she tells everyone her tales.
When she gets excited and wants to outside she dances at the door standing on 3 feet with one
back foot raised, then the other. She is stubborn and determined; she is also a total couch potato. Suffice to say she is my soul mate.
I found her 14 years ago in a reptile aquarium filled with cedar chips at a flea market stall.
She looked so lost in that glass box. I couldn’t resist her precious face. I picked her up and she put
one paw on each side of my neck, laid her head down and hung on to me for dear life. It nearly killed me to have to
put her down again to go get my parents to talk them into letting me bring this baby home. I was smart, I got my mom first and Annabelle was smart too – she hugged my mom, it was all over then. I paid a measly forty dollars and took my baby far away from that horrible glass box. She had fleas, worms, skin problems, and some teeth that never grew in (her mother was malnourished when she was pregnant) oh yeah and she had really big feet. My dad named our girl Annabelle Lee (he loves E.A. Poe).
She has been my faithful companion for half of my life, she is the only one who can make me laugh through tears, she sleeps with me when I am sick, or just gives me the softest “mommy I love you” kisses. We have been through a lot together and over the last few years we have been coping with pretty intense arthritis, we have pioneered holistic diets and acupuncture treatments when the western medicine stopped working. Earlier this summer my girl got vestibular disorder, which causes a vertigo sensation for several days and as scary as that week was for me, it was the first time I ever saw Annabelle terrified. We got through that and now she has a tumor in her one leg that doesn’t have arthritis. She is amazing, she never cries or whimpers, she is a tough girl. Tonight as I gave her the first of her pain medications for this cancer she smiled up at me (maybe it was the pancake I wrapped the pills in) and in her eyes the puppy is still there. I am planning at this point to pursue for her the most aggressive treatment possible. My Annabelle Lee deserves everything I have to give. I know she will find a way to keep dancing.
— Ashley
Bailee of East Kent, Golden Retriever
May 24, 2000 — April 19, 2008
Cause: Osteocarcinoma "Wings Carcinoma"
UPDATE 10-06-08 —
Bailee came into our lives with a Roar and a zeal for life in the fast lane. Until she was nearly 2 1 yrs old, she was the eternal Puppy… She kept the house in a perpetual state of mess , kept all 4 of our cats physically fit, made sure that the xmas tree was always taken down right after xmas, played with the neighborhood raccoon and porcupine. She loved to take rides down to the ocean… she was well known as the “Ocean Retriever”, when she wasn’t chasing down waves, she was digging pits under our beach chairs in an effort to get us down to her level of the beach. At 2 1/2 yrs, she shed her puppy hood and became a well behaved young lady. She learned her commands and earned her good neighbor and obedience training certificate. Whenever we were in a crowd, she was a child magnet and was totally loved by the wee ones. As time went by, her reputation in the neighborhood grew until she was asked to be a volunteer walker service dog to the physically challenged youth who came to visit because of her special rapport with them. In 2008 we noticed that while she was playing with the neighborhood children she suddenly stopped and lifted her left front leg with a look of surprise on her face. Since then, she had a limp that never got worse nor better. I checked her feet, found a small sharp rock, removed it and never gave it another thought.
In Early April, we noticed that her limp had gotten worse and took her to a vet who diagnosed that she had early Arthritis…we put her on Arthritis meds and chondroiton. This did not help…. We took her to another Vet who insisted that we do an Xray… The results were devastating to us… She had a Osteocarcinoma at the distal end of her radius. The bone was hollowed out to the thickness of paper. In Discussion with the Vet, we took her home and made her comfortable. In the meantime, I did research and found that the stats for this type of Cancer is not encouraging. 80% of goldies will be susceptible to Osteocarcinomas. 89% of those treated will live up to 1 year before the cancer comes back. Amputation is recommended along with Radiation and chemotherapy. For us, it was too late and the cancer had spread to her other leg and her lungs. All this time, she showed no pain or discomfort until she had breathing problems. We had no option but to spare her the pain and on April 19, 2008 we sent her on her way to wait for our coming when it is our time to go. Then forever, we will be with our Beloved Bailee.
— Greg
In Memory of Titus Mathis
UPDATE 10-02-08 —
This is our beautiful 'puppy' Titus. He was 9 yrs old when he died, but
he was always a puppy to us! He was a best friend and companion during
many trying times, and he never failed to give unconditional love and
comfort to his family. He loved my children, Carley and Kyle, with all
his heart and would protect them to no end. Titus thought my son Kyle
was his brother and he felt the need to compete with him over many
things, if Kyle ran fast, Titus raced to beat him. He treasured daily
walks and swimming, and he was always eager to explore. He once chased a
beaver into the St. Lawrence river, and swam after him for 30 minutes. I
wasn't sure he was ever going to come back. He had a wonderful life and
a family that loved him dearly. Our vet once told my daughter, that he
was more 'human' than dog, and we agreed he definitely was. He
understood our happiness and our pain, and he shared all of it with us.
He knew when we needed comfort or a friend. My daughter feels he got her
thru some very hard times. He took care of us when we were blue, he
snuggled us when we needed it. If nothing else, he was a big cuddly bear
to hug when you were down. As soon as we sat down in the living room, he
raced to our side to sit next to us. He was a part of the family, our
3rd child, and we loved him with all our hearts.
Titus had hemangiosarcoma with tumors on his heart. He suffered his
first episode of weakness on July 24th of this year, while we were away
on vacation. He couldn't get up, wasn't interested in food, although he
was very alert and his eyes followed us everywhere. The vet, in the
small town we were in, knew his liver/kidneys were struggling but didn't
know why. We know now that his pericardium (sac around the heart) had
filled with fluid from the tumor on his heart, and was preventing blood
flow to his organs. Somehow, Titus snapped out of it after ~ 5 days.
We're unclear if there was a leak in the pericardium which released some
of the fluid buildup and allowed his heart to beat more effectively? He
was fine for a month, but had another attack at the end of August. The
vet did an ultra-sound, discovered the tumor and the fluid. The pressure
from the fluid was caving in part of his heart and preventing it from
pumping. They drained the fluid off with a needle which immediately
relieved the symptoms, & he was walking again 4 hrs after the surgery.
This procedure didn't address the tumor however, or the fact that the
pericardium could fill up again at any time. We brought Titus to Medvet
in Memphis to have a pericardectomy, which is a removal of a portion of
the sac around the heart so it wouldn't fill up again. During surgery,
they removed a large tennis ball size tumor as well. Unfortunately they
also noticed smaller tumors on the heart, that had already started
spreading. Chemo was an option, but we were told would only extend his
life by a couple months. I didn't want to do that to him, after he had
just undergone surgery on his heart. He would have spent the remainder
of his time sore or in pain from surgeries or drugs. This disease is so
aggressive & silent, dogs can't tell you when they're feeling ill, it's
fully upon you before you've even had time to contemplate options. We
had hoped to have another 2-4 months with Titus before he passed, so my
kids could come home and say goodbye, but it wasn't to be. He came home
after surgery, recovered some of his playfulness in the interim, but
died quickly 3 weeks later in my arms. This dog will forever be in our
hearts and a part of our family, we loved him dearly!
— Darrell, Julie, Carley and Kyle
Max Wilke
August 4, 1997 — July 18, 2008
UPDATE 10-02-08 —
In loving memory of our Max who we love so very much.
Max will be greatly missed and always, always be in our hearts. Max was a truly great friend and sweet, sweet guy.
He loved everyone.
Max came into our lives after our dog Petey passed away in March of 2000.
Max had been living with foster parents after his owner had to go into a nursing home.
Max’s foster parents asked us if we would like to have Max come to live with us. It was
the greatest decision to adopt him into our family. He brought us much, much love and companionship.
Poor Max was diagnosed with Canine Lymphosarcoma in early June. Our vet said chemo was a
good option and we went ahead with it. At first Max was responding very well and we were
so encouraged. The tumors were reduced to almost nothing. Then Max took a week off of chemo to let his blood count recover. Unfortunately the tumors returned with a vengeance and Max could not recover.
We will remember the wonderful years we had with Max. He loved to go for walks and rides in
the car. He loved to bark at the ducks and swans on the water. He loved to go on the boat.
He loved to sleep in bed with his Mom and Dad. And when anyone came over to the house he knew they
were coming just to see him and always gave the warmest of welcomes.
We ask God to make us as nice as Max. God bless you Max.
— Mark
Abby Mae
December 20, 2001 — September 28, 2008
UPDATE 9-29-08 —
Abby Mae was our precious "Brown Eyed Girl." She even loved the song and wagged her tail to the beat everytime we fed her. She loved singing along with the fire trucks as they went by in the evening, and loved singing at 5:00 am (on the dot) to wake us up to feed her a sunrise breakfast. No doubt that her precious face is singing to her heart's content in Heaven. We lost Abby to an undetectable form of either pancreatic or intestinal cancer. She was just fine five weeks earlier, with little or no signs of an illness. She still barked at Animal Planet on the TV, loved dragging her blanket all over the house, and running the roost of her two pug brothers, Titan and Henry. Her weight rapidly declined in a few short weeks to the tune of about 10-12 pounds (which is a lot for even this fat cat!) After numerous visits to the vet for a variety of symptoms, they still diagnosed her as "having some kind of stomach bug" and gave us some pills and sent her on her way. While I could go back and ream the clinic, I won't. They were very compassionate and explained how rare this form of canine cancer is, and how virtually undetectable it is. Her precious spirit left us after she layed down to take a nap while we went to church. We came home and found her looking so peaceful and in no more pain. Her ashes will be placed front and center on the fireplace mantle, along with her 11x14 portrait in a place she would not rather be - and that is overlooking the living room like a lifeguard she is. She was not a dog. She was a sister, a granddaughter, and even daugher and will always be both daddy's "Brown Eyed Girl."
—Dax
Mr. Handsome
UPDATE 09-21-08 —
First and foremost Thank You for having this website available to dog owners; we were able to use some of your recommended holistic therapies to help our dog, Mr. Handsome, live an extra 3 weeks after being diagnosed with Hermangiosarcoma.
We would like to continue Mr. Handsome's legacy by sharing our experience from the day he was diagnosed and also his life.
Mr. Handsome was a 9 year old, male, chow chow. He was truly a one-of-a-kind soul. He was full of life, his spirit rubbed off on everyone who he came in contact with. He was loving, emphathetic, extremely loyal, and an incredible life force. We are so proud to have been able to call him our son and 'Brother' to his other siblings. Mr. Handsome was diagnosed with Hermangiosarcoma on August 26th 2008. We brought him to our vetinarian that day because he was not himself (he was lethargic, showed signs of labored breathing, and had a purpleish stool the night before). We were shocked when we saw the xrays; 3 tumors had developed, one on each his spleen, chest, and lungs. There was no warning! We tried to drain fluid, we took him to an onocologist, he had a blood transfusion; but all efforts by the medical world could not help him. We were told on August 28 that he had one day to live. We were not accepting of this; he was too young, had had no prior health problems, and simply, we did not feel that it was his time.
So we found your website and talked with others and we started a holistic treatment. We knew it was a long shot (but we believe in miracles), and with lots of love and nuturing for the first couple of days after; he was starting to do better. His breathing improved, energy went up a little, he indicated that he was willing to fight as well. We continued from that point forth for 3 weeks until Sept 18th with his treatments, kept a careful watch on his fluid levels (he did have one fluid drain in that time). We felt truly blessed to have been given these days and this opportunity with him. Mr. Handsome passed in his own back yard the evening of Sept 18th. It was his time, he could fight no more, the cancer had caught up again. This process has truly changed us, we feel that things need to be changed with the yearly checkups at the vet. We feel that this cancer could possibly have been diagnosed early, if the vetinarian would have done an xray at the checkup. No other way could it have been prevented; so our push is share our story about our boy and to try to change the system of the yearly checkups so no other dog owner should have to go through what we had to; along with the other dogs who have passed because of this disease.
To our Son and Brother, Mr. Handsome - You will always be loved and remembered for your kindness, spirit, and awesomeness.
— Michael
Teemu McClatchey
June 2, 1995 — September 8, 2008
UPDATE 09-13-08 —
Teemu was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of Lymphoma in September of 2008. He was hit so hard and so fast that there was nothing the doctors could do. He had lost 5 lbs in a matter of a couple weeks. He had stopped eating and started showing signs of being sick on September 4th. He was kept in the hospital ICU overnight on fluids. We ran several tests and waited on results. By September 7th he was unable to stand or lay down without straining. He had an ultrasound scheduled for September 8th so the doctor loaded him up on steroids so he would be more comfortable until we had a diagnosis. The Xrays and ultrasound indicated lymphoma throughout his whole system. The biopsy came back as aggressive large cell lymphoma. He was unable to breath comfortably and was in a lot of pain. Because of the massive spread of the cancer in such a short period of time and his age the doctors and the both of us decided the most thoughtful thing to do would be to put him to sleep. This is the last picture taken of Teemu. It was taken on September 7th . We’re thankful he didn’t suffer and he lived a long, happy, and beautiful life.
Here is the rest of his story...
Teemu came into our lives 13 years ago. He has been a great dog with a very unique personality. We called him the general because he always wanted to be boss and to keep everyone in line. We loved him so much. When we adopted him we were told he was a lab/golden retriever mix. As you can see he didn’t turn out that way. We LOVED him anyway! He has been a great friend. He loved going to the lake and riding in the car. He loved to steal the cat’s toys when they weren’t looking.
Thank you for reading his story,
— Marie and Mike McClatchey
To Teemu— You have taught us that life is short and to cherish every moment. Never in our thoughts would we have thought you would leave us so soon. We are so thankful that you didn’t have to suffer very long from this nasty disease. We loved you so much and you sure did love us. You loved to be spoiled! Jaz will miss his buddy as you two were inseparable. We will miss our “little general” We love you so much!
— Love Mom and Dad
Summer
UPDATE 08-31-08 —
On August 26, 2008 we lost our beloved daughter Summer to what we believed was
Hepatic Neoplasia. A growth was located in her liver approximately 8 months
prior but because she was 13 yrs old, we made the difficult decision that
invasive surgery was not worth the risk. She was preceded in death by her
brother right before the liver cancer was diagnosed (see Tyler). She never
showed any discomfort and other than occasional incontinence that we treated
with Proin, she was happy but missed her brother dearly. The morning she let
us know it was time, we took her to our vet’s home in the country where we
laid with her in a pasture on a blanket with a couple of horses watching over
her. She left us peacefully after the shot was administered and never showed
any suffering. We will always remember her for her unconditional love for
us. Her fur was soft as a rabbit and she could run like the wind. She loved
chasing squirrels and her front legs would come off the ground when she barked
at the UPS and garbage trucks. She would roll in the backyard upside down
in the grass kicking her legs up to what we referred to her "riding her
bicycle". She was abandoned with her
brother 14 yrs ago on the street in front of our house. We took them in and
in return they brought us enduring happiness to our home. No sacrifice was
too large for them and they never went without anything. The house is so lonely
without them. We loved our daughter very much and will never forget her. A
sympathy card sent to us read: "Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears,
but laugh and talk of me as if I were
beside you. . . I loved you so — ‘twas Heaven here with you. "
— Mark
Pepper Ann Long
April 21, 2001— June 26, 2008
UPDATE 06-27-08 —
Pepper was diagnosed with Lymphoma on June 5, 2008. It was already in stage IV and very aggressive, the vet said she had 30 to 60 days left. I tried the Cancer Diet and supplements, with prayer and pleading yet after 3 weeks of fighting, Pepper could fight no more. Her tumors doubled in size and number in that short time. She was the best dog ever. She was sweet and funny, loving and silly, caring and sensitive, protective and smart. She was so many wonderful things, but she was always a constant in our lives. She has seen my son and I through so many tough times, I cannot imagine our lives without her. She did fight to live but the cancer was too much. We will never forget her. She loved her stuffed animals and to open presents on her birthday and Christmas. She loved to be in the water and she loved her yard, she loved ice cream and mostly she loved us. She loved her Nanny, who always spoiled her. She was always happy to see us. We are going to miss her so much. She can never be replaced. Our hearts are broken without her here. Pepper- We love and miss you and wish you did not have to go. Love you forever..............
— Mom and Tyler
Newman Penn american bulldog
December 29, 1997— April 9, 2008
UPDATE 06-26-08
You are the LOVE of my life, my heart and my soul dog. I will forever miss you.
You taught me so much Newman. You were a brave hero, a gentle giant
a strong fighter. Truly a one of a kind very special boy with a heart of gold.
You will live on inside of me forever Newman. We are each left with a piece
of the other's heart. That will have to do for now.
Until we meet again my beloved special angel....
— Love your mom Paula
Mauli
My Girl ~ My Guardian Angel
June 1993 — February 24, 2007
UPDATE 06-20-08 —
I found my beautiful Rottie, Mauli crossing a four lane intersection,
weighing only 40 lbs with a massive abscess on her tummy and most of her
fur missing. I came to realize, it was actually she who found me.
Mauli changed everything about my life. She was my first Dog, and she
taught me Responsibility and Love in ways I'd never experienced. She
kept me grounded and kept me honest with myself. I had severe
depression, but it was Mauli that kept me here…I could never have left
her. She protected me when I couldn't protect myself. She loved me
when I couldn't love myself. Loving her so completely kept my heart
from cracking. Together we had the most wonderful journeys and created
such beautiful memories, from camping to horseback riding, hiking,
jogging, swimming and, of course, cuddling. Mauli Loved to give Real
Hugs to her favorite people. She was always smiling and was
affectionate to everyone she met, greeting them promptly with a bump of
her rump.
When I learned Mauli had Cancer in her lungs, I fought tooth and nail
and researched everything I could, the Canine Cancer Awareness site
proved to be the most helpful site I could find, thank you so much for
your efforts…I will always contribute to your cause. I was given 4
weeks and that's exactly what we had. The Cancer was so invasive, it
took over very quickly despite the special supplements and Cancer Diet I
gave her. She is so incredibly strong, that I never even knew outwardly
that something major was wrong, I just had a 'hunch'. At almost 14
years of age, she would still go up the stairs, love her walks and play
with her toys. I feel very blessed for that. Her strong will and
refusal to give up will always inspire me. She is my Hero. I was with
her every second, holding her in my arms for every breath. Letting her
go was the HARDEST thing I've ever had to do, I whispered how much I
loved her in her ear the entire time. The grief is unbearable, My Mauli
is EVERYTHING to me. She is my inspiration to Love Completely and to
always try and wag my tail no matter what life brings. Mauli was
clearly an Angel in a Dog's Body…now she's flying with her beautiful
wings. I keep you close to me always Sweet Girl ~ My Girl. I feel you
near me at times, but I so wish I could touch your little "bobbin" tail
right now. We will be together again, I promise. I Love You Always and
I Miss you Terribly! I could never forget Mauli's Mojo. Thank you for
everything.
— Wendy Tubbs, Mauli's Mom
Forever
Tigger
UPDATE 06-07-08 —
Oh, Tigs....I can't believe that a year ago I was cooking your birthday hamburger and arranging your pressies so they were all ready for your official birthday portrait. Just a day or so earlier you were diagnosed with the evil beast that would take you from us just six months later.
We had hoped for more time, but it wasn't to be. I think now that you somehow knew that you wouldn't be here as long, so you put as much as you could into every minute of life! Your daddy and I always said that you lived life "with joyous abandon" and it was so true...you were our "shark dog", always on the move when you were in the backyard, making the rounds and starting over again right away because something might have been there in the minute since you checked it out! You could be WAY out in the corner of the yard, and if you heard "Mommy's home!" or "Daddy's home!", you would FLY across the yard, fur plastered against your face...then you'd run through the door and HURL yourself at the object of your affection. :-)
We had a special bond, you and I...you were definitely a Mommy's girl. In the mornings, you and Pooh always got a biscuit with some p-nut butter on it...but you wouldn't take yours until you had some "Mommy-love". I'd go sit in the chair, you'd run over and jump up into my lap to give me some kisses and get some ear-rubs...after a couple minutes I'd put you down and THEN you'd run over and grab the biscuit.
You were my snuggle-bug...I loved how I would hold you and you'd rest your head on my chest or shoulder. That last day, I held you as much as I could, and sometimes you'd lay there looking up at me and we'd stare into each other's eyes....I cherish those moments so very much.
I know you're with us....sometimes more "vividly" than others (I'll take another dream like the one where you were kissing me anytime!) and now you've sent us Darby, a little pistol just like you to remind us of your love of life.
You will always have a special place in my heart....those memories are in the place of the piece of my heart you took with you.
I love you, puppykins....
— Mommy
Jake Wankel
UPDATE 06-02-08 —
I'm posting this as a success story to encourage those facing the same situation. Jake has beaten the odds and is still with us 5 years after his surgery.
Jake is our 8 year old lab mix. He was initially diagnosed with Osteosarcoma of the left front leg in 2002. The suggested treatment was amputation followed by biopsy. We requested the biopsy first and it came back negative. For the following year we treated him for pain with Rimadyl.
On July 4th, 2003 we noticed a bulge on the shoulder of his left front leg right on the biopsy site. We knew exactly what it was, but had the Xrays taken anyway. Our worst fears were confirmed. Our baby had cancer.
The outlook was not good. All of the statistics I could find on the web looked like he would die within a year even with treatment. We couldn't throw in the towel on him, though. He was too bright eyed and bushy tailed to give up on.
We elected to go forward with the surgery and attempted chemotherapy. The surgery went well, but he did not react well to the chemo. We thought we were going to lose him and elected not to continue after the first dose. Basically, we felt that while his days might be fewer without the chemo than with it, we'd rather he have a better quality of life than a longer quantity of life while dealing with the side effects.
Anyway, since he recovered from his treatment he has been wide open. There is life after osteosarcoma. He may get sick again tomorrow, we don't know what the future holds. What I do know is that we have enjoyed his love and company for five more years than we otherwise might have. The statistics are not promising, but they also aren't absolute. I hope this helps others who are facing the same decisions I had to.
— Don
The Love of my Life — Maggie
March 26, 1996— April 25, 2008
UPDATE 05-19-08 —
My Irish Setter, Maggie, passed away from Hemangiosarcoma on April 25, 2008. Here is our story.
My Maggie was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma in March of 2007. She had an undetected mass in her spleen that had ruptured and we immediately went into surgery. After surgery we completed 5 rounds of chemo successfully and the cancer went undetected for 1 year. A tumor was then found in her liver on March 18, 2008. She lived comfortably for about another month. When the time came I held her in my arms at home, kissed her again and told her once more that I loved her and let her know that I would never let her suffer.
I would do anything, and give anything to be with my Maggie again. I only had her 4 years after taking her in when someone else wouldn't take care of her. It wasn't enough time with such a wonderful soul. There is no way to describe the aching pain in my chest. She taught me the meaning of living life and made me the happiest I've ever been. I was so lucky to have the time that I had with her and she will be with me always.
Please pray for an end to this horrible disease once and for all - for both humans and animals. Cancer robs the world of too much.
— Thank you.
Skipper
UPDATE 05-04-08 — This
tribute is about Skipper, my 4 year old male Pembroke Welsh
Corgi. Skipper was born on February 28, 2004. I first held
him in my arms in April of 2004 at the home of his breeders,
Sue and Karen.
The first time I took this 8 week
old, baby puppy in my arms, I looked into his then beautiful
baby blue eyes as he playfully licked my face and cuddled happily
with me. I played with him and the other puppies that Karen
and Sue showed me. Skipper was a "fluffy" so the girls could
not use him in dog shows. However, I was thrilled that he was
a Fluffy! I fell in love with Skipper (then known as "Edgar")
on that day.
My Mom was with me when we went
to see him that day. I remember sitting in the middle of the
girls' living room in the dog playpen with Skipper and the
rest of the puppies. I remember how much he wanted my attention
nipping at me and lying on his back while I scratched him belly,
and looking up at me whenever I stopped scratching :) as if
to tell me not to stop.
A few weeks later, when we returned,
Skipper was 10 weeks old and ready for us to bring him home.
I was happy, but a little sad when I looked at Sue, and I promised
that I would always keep Skipper together with his family by
visiting her and Karen, so that Skipper would never forget
his family and the loving home where he was born.
Through the years, the little fluffy
puppy grew into a beautiful head strong, independent Corgi,
a small dog, with a big dog's bark. Skipper and I grew closer
as he also did with my Mom, aka Grandma. Eventually, I began
taking Skipper to the Ocean County Off-Lease Dog Park. Skipper
was in heaven whenever I took him there. He loved being with
people and other dogs.
At the doggie park, Skipper backed
down from no dog:) He even chased bigger dogs, but everyone
knew that it was all in fun and friendship, because Skipper
was lovable and always showed it.
The bond between Skipper, whom I
nicknamed "my little bear," continued to grow to where Skipper
could anticipate my every move. He was totally alert to all
sorts of sounds. Skipper loved running out on my sundeck and
barking at the snow and/or the rain, whenever it came.
That's another thing he loved. Skipper
loved the water. I bought him a plastic baby swimming pool
that I kept on my sundeck.
After Labor Day in September 2007,
Skipper began experiencing a problem breathing. On September
5, 2007, I noticed lumps underneath Skipper's neck and on his
back. That night, brought him to my local vet.
The attending Vet, Dr. Harvey, immediately determined that
Skipper may have Lymphoma. She ran tests to confirm it. Skipper
had cancer.
Dr. Harvey, who had interned with
vet oncologists at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, referred Skipper
to the facility. I have never experienced a great degree of
anxiety and sadness than when I received this news.
Fortunately, Karen was able to drive
down to my Mom's house and pick up Skipper and bring him to
Red Bank Vet. The prognosis and protocol was immediate chemotherapy
treatment that day. Joshua Lachowicz, DVM, was Skipper's oncologist.
When I went to pick up Skipper from my Mom's house the next
day, all of the swelling was gone, but I was told of the pending
treatment.
Dr. Lachowicz reviewed the treatment
protocol with me. Skipper would receive weekly chemotherapy
treatments by injection and on occasion, through pills. Skipper's
condition with anti-nausea and anti-diarrhea pills appeared
to be working. In fact, sometime in November, 2007, I recall
Dr. Lachowicz advising that he believed Skipper's cancer would
go into complete remission.
But in February, 2008, a lump appeared
underneath Skipper's hind leg. Dr. Lachowicz examined it and
told me that the disease was now in relapse and out of remission.
He told me that he would have to use a "rescue drug" protocol.
While the swollen lump would occasionally go down, it never
went away. Eventually between March and early April 2008, lymph
nodes underneath Skipper's neck swelled and did not go down.
In late April, 2008, Skipper began
vomiting and could not keep down food. He also could not breath
properly and snored very loudly when he tried to sleep. I first
thought that this was a side effect of the now more aggressive
chemotherapy, but in the back of my mind I knew in my heart
that my little angel was suffering from the effects of the
cancer.
On May 1, 2008, my Mom went with
me to Red Bank Vet Hospital where Dr. Lachowicz confirmed my
worst fears, i.e., that the cancer had spread to Skipper's
liver, which was now pushing into his stomach causing pain,
as the X-Rays showed. The X-rays also showed lymph node swelling
in Skipper's rectal area and underneath his throat.
The options Dr. Lachowicz gave me
provided no comfort or relief to Skipper's suffering. Anyone
who has had to confront this illness with their dog knows what
this means. I broke down crying and made the most painful decision
I have ever had to make concerning my baby. I could not let
Skipper suffer.
My mom and I stayed with Skipper
after Dr. L and the girls brought him in to us. My Mom cried
and kissed him. She couldn't bear to stay in the room. I stayed
on the floor holding Skipper in my arms, crying all the time
and whispering in his ear, kissing him, and assuring him that
Daddy would eventually be with him.
Dr. L came him and got down on the
floor with me. I help Skipper as I heard him begin sleeping.
The snoring was very loud. My arms were cradled around him,
on my knees, bent over. My eyes were closed as I kissed the
back of his head. I then heard complete silence. I began to
cry again, as Dr. L patted me on the back and quietly walked
out of the room leaving me with Skipper.
If I could have taken the cancer
out of Skipper and given it to myself, I would have done it
in a heartbeat! There is nothing that I would not have done
for this little angel who touched my heart with his love. Skipper
was adorable, smart, funny, loyal, and loved me so unconditionally
and without any expectations, I wish that human beings could
take a lesson from him and other dogs like him.
To anyone who reads this, please
understand that there has got to be a way to rid our world
of this horrifying disease once and for all.
Buddy
UPDATE 04-21-08 — This
is my sweet, fun loving friend Buddy. I am the luckiest person
that I know because I was blessed with Buddy for his thirteen
years. Buddy was diagnosed with a nasal tumor in December 2007.
I noticed blood coming from his nose one evening in November
and rushed him to the clinic. After many tests the tumor was
discovered.
Buddy and I traveled and lived in
many different places in his thirteen years. Los Angeles, CA
Phoenix, AZ, Houston, TX, and finally Tucson, AZ. He made friends
wherever he went, and was always eager to go. He always was
excited for a ride or walk. When he was younger I would take
him rollerblading. We would start by him pulling me and end
with me pulling him. I have so many stories and memories about
my Buddy, and all make me smile and laugh. I have friends tell
me of their memories of Buddy and that is very special. One
of my friends decided on getting a dog of the same breed because
of the influence that Buddy had made on him.
On April 7th Buddy suffered a seizure.
The cancer had advanced. Buddy was with me in body for eleven
more days. April 18th, after two days in the intensive care
unit at the clinic, I had to make the decision that I had been
dreading for a long time. Our last moments together were spent
with me talking to him and reminding him how much he has meant
to me and how much I appreciated his friendship, loyalty, and
companionship. Buddy was in my arms when he passed. I felt
his little heart stop and we shared his last breath. I kissed
him and told him that I loved him.
Buddy is still with me wherever
I go in spirit. I know that one day we will be reunited and
the fun and games will begin all over again. I have no regrets
and wouldn't trade a minute with him for anything.
I love you so much Buddy and I miss
you more than anyone could ever imagine.
— Bradley
Hannah
UPDATE 03-31-09 — Donated today in memory of Hannah. It's been a year since you left us for a better place. We think of you every day,
and love you with all our hearts. You will always be with us, our beautiful black lab.
— Mom & Dad
UPDATE 04-05-08 — We
lost our beloved Hannah to hemangiosarcoma of the spleen and
liver in the early hours of April 1st, 2008. She was nearing
her 12th birthday. Her loss was so unexpected, it still seems
like a bad dream. She had spent the weekend competing in something
she so loved: a Dockdogs competition. Although she could no
longer jump as far as she once could, she was so excited to
leap into the water after her retrieving duck. She brought
home seven ribbons that weekend. The very next day, as I was
preparing her and our four other dogs' dinner, she was conspicuously
absent from the nightly lineup of hungry eyes watching my every
move. I called out to her, and finally found her lying on the
living room floor. She was lethargic, and could not get up
to walk. As I was on crutches from an injury three weeks before,
I called my wife, who had just left to volunteer helping cats
find forever homes. She returned immediately, and knew instantly
upon seeing Hannah that something was very wrong. A neighbor
was summoned to help load Hannah into a blanket and into our
van for a trip to the vet ER. She was losing blood, and an
ultrasound found a splenic tumor. She was stabilized, and transported
to another ER where surgeons were on-call to operate. As my
wife drove through a rainstorm, I lay on the floor of the van
holding her for the 35 minute trip. Through tears, I told her
she was the best dog in the world, and how much we loved her,
and how special she was. I prayed that she would be spared
any pain or suffering. On arrival, we made the decision to
have the surgery, just in case there was any chance to save
her. After an agonizing wait, the surgeons came out to tell
us the bad news; that it had spread to her liver, and she would
not live much longer, even if they were able to remove the
cancer. In the most difficult moment of our lives, we made
the decision to say goodbye to our precious Hannah. Although
it hurt us terribly, it was no longer about us, but about her
quality of life. She left us peacefully at 1:45 in the morning.
We took her home wrapped in a blanket,
and made sure that her canine brothers and sister had the chance
to say goodbye to her. In the order that they came to our family,
we showed them her body, and in the way only dogs can, they
said goodbye. We took her the next day to our friend and hometown
veterinarian, who cared for her since we were blessed with
her entering our lives, and would take care of her one last
time through cremation. A few locks of fur were collected,
and our friend said she would take a pawprint for us. We will
scatter her ashes in her hometown near Lake Michigan, where
she learned to swim and dive for rocks. Her spirit will run
free, unencumbered by any pain, soreness, or effects of old
age. She will always be with us, till the end of our days,
when we will be reunited once again.
We love you and miss you, our sweet
girl and punkin'—
Mike & Cindy, Bandit, Muffasa, Chompers
and Peanut.
Legend
May 1, 2007 — April 16, 2007
UPDATE 03-05-08 — Legend
lost a very short battle with a highly aggressive hemangiosarcoma
last year. It was a week from diagnosis to death. He burst
into our lives like a rocket and raced toward this final adventure
as he had done with every other adventure in his life. This
hole in my heart will never heal.
— Victoria
Phantom
June 9, 1996 — May 20, 2008
UPDATE 07-03-08 — The labrasaurus left us on May 20, 2008 after having
successfully battled lymphoma. An unrelated neurological disorder made it too hard for him to carry on. Goodbye big dog, I carry you in my heart always.
— Victoria and the Army of Darkness
(Courage, FM Epic
AT THE BRIDGE - Dragon, CGC, 1990-2003
Legend, CGC, FMCh, 2001-2007
Phantom, 1996-2008, CGC, WCI, JH, FMX)
UPDATE 03-05-08 — Phantom
was diagnosed with lymphoma (Stage IV - A) on November 15,
2007. He was born June 9, 1996 and is thriving under the Madison
Wisconsin Protocol. The cancer is in remission and we are looking
toward a bright and happy future for as long as we have together.
— Victoria
Trapper
UPDATE 07-08-07 — My
name is Joanne. My husband, Barry, and I live in Colorado.
Eight months ago, our white German Shepherd, Trapper (photo
attached) was diagnosed with Lymphoma. We elected to have him
treated with chemotherapy (Madison protocol) and feel very
fortunate to have been able to do this for him. We love Trapper
so much and feel blessed to have been able to afford this treatment
for him and to have him in our lives a little longer. Unfortunately,
approximately two weeks ago, Trapper came out of remission.
His cancer has become drug resistant and we are just spoiling
the heck out of him in his last days. He is doing very well
for the most part and remains on prednisone to help with inflammation
and any discomfort he may experience. My husband and I are
so happy to have been able to afford this treatment and in
response we want to help others that may not be as financially
blessed as we. In addition, we want to help your organization
financially so you may help others.
— Barry and Joanne (a.k.a
Team Trapper)
UPDATE 09-09-07 — Not
a day goes by that we don't miss Trapper. Please feel free
to visit our teamtrapper.com website
anytime. I will be updating it periodically and if there is
anything I can add to help you folks, please let us know. I
hope you are all doing well and enjoying the coming of fall.
Please know you are always close to our hearts and we hope
we can continue to help your organizations in the coming year.
With warmest regards and loving in memory of Trapper, — Joanne
and Barry
Ritz
UPDATE 03-05-08 — Ritz
came to us in May 1999 and was our Angel Frisbee's protege.
Frisbee was not friendly with other dogs, and we thought a
pup would be her tonic. What a difference a pup can make. Ritz
was a friend, a companion, a therapy dog, an absolute joy to
everyone. She NEVER showed aggression toward anything, not
even when confronted. She would just run to us like a bullied
child. She was pure loveliness personified from day one. When
Frisbee was taken from us suddenly in Feb 2000, Ritz was there
to hold us all together, as we were shaken to the core. Ritz
forever the clown and entertainer brought our family together
during our time of healing. Later in the year we brought Sassy
home, as a friend and playmate for Ritz, she had never been
alone and we thought she could use a friend. Sassy walked in
the door at 6 weeks old (us not knowing any better) and not
having learned the pecking order, took one look at Ritz and
said "Right, your number two?" and claimed the role of lead
dog in the pack. Ritz was more than happy just to be included.
From then on they were inseperable, joined at the hip, buddies.
Ritz was supposed to show Sassy the way, as Frisbee had done
for Ritz, but instead Ritz regressed back to puppyhood, and
now we had one very large puppy and one very small lead dog,
what a pair!
As the years have gone on, we realised
that we needed both of our girls, one the lovely friend, nearly
human, "therapy dog" Ritz, and one the guarding, protecting
, tough and sassy to the core "house dog" Sassy.
Ritz was our glue, our batteries,
our friend. She was there for us when we lost Frisbee, My wife's
Mum Sheila, and during my wife's recent long illness, she was
there comforting, and loving and always bringing smiles to
our faces.
We miss you baby,
— From Mum & Dad, Grandad & Sassy x
UPDATE 03-05-08 — Hi
again, I think I forgot to add... Ritz was diagnosed with splenic
hemangiosarcoma on Dec 5, 2007 following an emergency splenectomy
after it burst on Nov 27th/28th 2007 up until then she had
no warning signs.
And the Grand Canyon pales in comparison
as to the size hole she has left in our lives, Sassy included!
Many thanks
K&L&S
Heidi
UPDATE 01-27-08 — Heidi
Gaspard, beloved friend & companion, was diagnosed with carcinoma
December 19, 2007. She had been having complications with digestion
for months previous to her biopsy. The vet told us that we'd
be lucky for 6 weeks more. January 26, 2008 - 1 year, 1 month,
and 7 days later, she passed away. We were extremely fortunate
to have been given the gift of time with her. Her quality of
life was excellent in her condition for all of that extra time
as she continued to chase squirrels and play with her friends,
Boss & Gigi. She fascinated the science world as she beat so
many odds and was such a tough fighter. We felt blessed to
have been home with her and lucky that she wasn't in pain.
She was everything and more that we could have ever hoped for
in a companion and family member. She touched our lives and
stole our hearts. Until we meet again, I hope you make new
friends and wait for us to be with you once more. We love you
Heidi—
Brett, Erin, Boss & Gigi
Bingo
April 1, 2000—February 18, 2008
UPDATE 03-02-08 — Bingo
was truly inspirational to me! No matter what life threw at
him, he handled it with a dopey smile and a wag of his tail.
He truly is how I want to be! Three years ago, I lost my Border
Collie, Levi, to epilepsy. That was a difficult fight...we
never got good control over his epilepsy. When he went to the
Bridge, I decided I wanted another Border Collie. I searched
the rescues, applied, was approved, and the wait began. Every
dog I was interested in had a waiting list...great for them,
bad for me. One day I received a call from one of the rescues.
She told me there was a 4-year-old male Border Collie down
in Missouri at Animal Control. They didn't have a foster home
for him, and he was in danger of being euthanized if he wasn't
moved. I adopted him sight unseen...He had a rough start in
life, and I vowed to do everything I could to make him happy...he
was a great dog and deserved it. We tried agility. Border Collies
are supposed to be good agility dogs...NOT! Not "Bing", he
was the clumsiest Border Collie I've ever met. Flyball? NOPE!
No ball interest. Herding? Sheep? SHEEP! This was truly Bingo's
calling. It was beautiful to watch! I took him to a herding
instinct test and boy did the instinct kick in!! We started
taking lessons! In January of 2007, I noticed Bingo limping.
Occasionally. Then more frequently. When I had the vet check,
after numerous referrals to other specialists, it turned out
to be a neural sheath tumor.  After
much agonizing over it, I decided to have the leg amputated.
I knew we could deal with it, and the prognosis was good. On
May 5, 2007, Bingo became my beloved Tri-Paw Border Collie.
He bounced back quickly. Two weeks after his surgery, a section
of his incision necrosed and became infected. He went back
in for it to be cleaned and resutured. The next week, we returned
to the vet to have some more of the staples/sutures removed.
I mentioned to the vet that I noticed Bingo had these huge
lumps under his chin. They took an aspirate. The results came
back lymphoma. I was devastated. Again, after much soul searching,
I opted for chemotherapy. Bing did remarkably well. We had
a few bad days, but always came through them! Bing attended
summer Dog Camp in August, and Doggie Dance Camp in September.
We finished the 19 week protocol in Oct. 2007. A few weeks
later, I noticed Bingo straining to go to the bathroom, and
wanting to go urgently. October 20, 2007 we took him to the
vet...unbelievable!! The vet found a mass near his prostate.There
was nothing more they could do. I decided to try a holistic
veterinarian. We started holistic supplements along with Western
medications. He has started to be able to urinate on his own
and did well. Sadly, Bingo lost his fight on February 18, 2008.
No one expected my boy to fight for this long! I am grateful
for everyday we had! He fought bravely, always with that goofy
Bingo grin. He had a will like no other and a spirit that couldn't
be broken! Bingo is my canine soul mate and I love him dearly.
This was so unfair! Bingo was such a gentle soul...he truly
is my best friend! Things just won't be the same. I am lucky
to have had Bingo in my life...even for such a short time.
Letting him go was the greatest final gift I could give him.
Cancer didn't win...he won! He's finally free! Run free, sweet
Bingo, run free! I love and miss you...always.
—Mary
Rhayngo
UPDATE 02-13-08 — This
is my girl Rhayngo. Rhayngo was a beautiful creature who graced
me with her presence for 8 1/2 years. She was caring and loyal
and my very best friend. Rhayngo passed away on January 29,
2007, after suffering with Canine Cancer Lymphoma. She was
diagnosed only 3 weeks before her passing.
The loss of Rhayngo is devastating
to me as I think about her constantly. Everywhere I go is a
reminder of what she meant to me...and how much we loved each
other. I cannot put into words how incredibly grateful I am
to have shared a life with her. Rhayngo taught me incredible
strength, perseverance, courage, and loyalty from which I am
eternally grateful.
We were a team and now I am lost,
very lost. I pray that my angel is still watching over me.
—Michelle
Ira of Dog Island
199?—2008
UPDATE 04-15-08 — Thanks
again for allowing us to a part of Canine Cancer Awareness.
Ira passed away April 15, 2008.
UPDATE 01-29-08 — Ira
is of indeterminate age, I found in the West Indies on an island
called St. Kitts where I was attending veterinary school. It
has now been just over 10 years and he has lymphoma. He is
about four weeks into his diagnosis and the lymph nodes enlarge
everyday. He seems blissfully unaware as we have just gotten
back from our local dog park. I don't know if I will be able
to write about him once he is gone so here is my most beloved
friend.
—Ira
Sydney Roo
UPDATE 02-05-08 — Hello...I
am writing because my dog, Sydney Roo, was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma
today. She is a German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix who just turned
10 yrs old in Dec 2007.
She was acting totally fine untill Dec 2007...when
she stopped eating her regular dog food...she would actually
flip her dog bowl over and sometimes even throw it. Then she
stopped eating that dog food all together. I tried other brands,
dry dog food mixed with can dog food, that worked for a few
days and then she stopped eating that as well. Then I tried
straight can dog food, that also worked for a few days. She
also was not acting like herself...not wanting to play catch
anymore, not jumping on the bed to sleep at night, occasionally
going to the bathroom in the house and acting very restless...I
then noticed that she started to lose weight which is when
I took her to the vet.
She had lost 22 lbs since her last time at
the vet, 6 months prior. She had gone from 102 lbs to 80 lbs...I
believe that most of this weight was lost during that month
of Dec. The vet started with blood and urinalysis, thinking
that she might have diabetes-which turned out negative. Then
we started working on why she was anemic...started with the
thought that it could have been from a tick or flea disease
since she had some white blood cells in her urine and she had
a fever...so we started her on Doxycycline...after 1 week her
red blood cell percentage had gone down again...so we ruled
out the flea or tick issue. We did chest and abdomen x-rays
which did not show anything abnormal either. Then my vet told
me that it is time for an ultrasound as he felt it could be
a tumor in the spleen or the liver.
Today we went to a specialist, one of the best
on the East Coast, and had an ultrasound done. Sydney has multiple
tumors in her liver and her spleen. If it was just the spleen,
the spleen could be removed, but since they have migrated to
the liver, surgery is not an option. She is extremely weak
and very depressed. He said that she is suffering from this,
due to the anemia, she is having trouble breathing and also
the tumors are causing these organs to press up against her
stomach.
After all of the research that I have done,
it does not seem that Chemo is an option either. It might prolong
her life a month or two but it will not be a quality life.
I know that the tumors can rupture and cause massive bleeding
in the abdomen, which is very painful, as well as fainting
for her and that I cannot live with. So this week I will have
to say good bye to my best friend, or "My Precious" as
I call her, as she goes on to doggie heaven. Who knew that
a trip to the local Animal Shelter could turn out to be a 10
yr loving relationship.
Here is a picture of Sydney Roo
in her prime...as I will always remember her...
—Thanks
Gail
Johannes
UPDATE 01-11-08 — I
will feel honored to donate to this very good cause.
This is a picture of my sweet little boy, Johannes.
He was a mischievous little boy as you can see. This past October
5, I made the right decision for him and let him go. I was
there with him when he drew his last breath and I know he is
waiting for me.
He had been diagnosed with a very aggressive
prostate cancer on October 2 in New Mexico, a town of about
80,000 people. I live in a very beautiful smaller town and
the vets around here did not know what was wrong with him.
He had previously been successfully treated for osteoarthritis
in 2001 and had blown two lumbar discs in 2003. We treated
these and he was basically doing real well on aspirin, glucosamine/chondroitin
and occasionally a series of adequan shots. He was doing real
well until this past August when he all of a sudden he appeared
to lose the strength in his rear legs. I put him on R and R.
He seemed to take two steps backward and one step forward,
but always at the end of the week, he seemed a little weaker.
I had brought him to the local vets and even went for treatment
to an acupuncturist. We had had great results with that when
we were treating him for his lumbar problems. By mid September,
he continued to regress with the occasional good day. He was
getting all of the above treatment. The acupuncturist showed
me how to do this and Johannes seemed to feel a little better
after this treatment.
By late September, he was getting worse so
I scheduled an appt. with a vet. The first thing she did was
give him his first ever rectal exam (much to his chagrin).
She told me he had a mass behind his rectum wall and her partner
confirmed this. She told me to schedule an appt. with a cancer
specialist in Tuscon. We drove over there on October 4, 2007.
He had a good set of radiographs done along with an aspirate
of the mass and an ultrasound. She told me he had no treatment
options as the cancer had spread to his liver and his lungs.
I looked at the x rays and his whole little body was filled
with tumors. I took him home that night and had already made
the best decision for Johannes. There was no way I was going
to watch him get progressively worse and the vet was surprised
he was doing as well as he was. The next morning we drove to
the vet. He was having a good morning. He had the cutest little
way at dinner time or at the door when we were going on a walk
of barking so energetically that his front feet would leave
the ground. His last little walk from my car to the vets door
he was prancing along and feeling very good (he had been on
a regime of prednisone during his treatment). He had many of
his favorite treats and gobbled them up like he always did.
(He never had enough food)
I was able to be with him as the vet put him
to sleep with a powerful anesthetic. When he put the shot into
his little heart to stop it,he didn't flinch when the needle
went in buy he had a little reaction to the phenobarbital and
I held him until he drifted off. The vet says he sees this
in some of the breeds and assured me he did not feel any pain.
I feel better knowing I did the right thing for him. I miss
him terribly. He was such a sweet boy. He has taught me so
much about love. This has been a very difficult three months.
I have two older Dachsies at home, Gretta (16) and Ollie (14)
and we all miss him. I am hoping that by posting this tribute,
and sharing this loss, it may help someone else who is going
through this. In my prayers at night I always ask the Higher
Power to make sure Johannes has a warm dry place to sleep and
to help him look up previous dogs I have had; Holly, Nanook
and Emily. I also ask that he be given a dog biscuit as a bedtime
snack. I also thank him for the eleven years and seven months
he was given to me to love and be loved. I sure miss him. thank
you
—Tim
Tyler
UPDATE 12-12-07 — We
lost out beloved son Tyler on December 12, 2007 to hemangiosarcoma.
We believe he had the disease for 2 years after having his
spleen removed. He was not only courageous but refused to indicate
to us any pain he may have been enduring. We had no indication
of the cancer until we noticed blood in his left eye. Upon
a scheduled visit with a canine ophthalmologist we were informed
that a subsequent chest x-ray showed the immense cancer throughout
his body. He never showed any other symptoms. 2 days after
the diagnoses we had our close friend (and veterinarian) come
to the house because he was laboring in his breathing. She
indicated that it was a miracle that he was still alive with
the amount of cancer the x-ray showed. He simply went to sleep
after the shot was administered and never showed any suffering.
I will always remember him for his unconditional love for us.
He was abandoned with his sister 13 1/2 years ago in a box
in the street in front of our house. We took them both in and
gave them the best life we could offer and in return they gave
us more than anyone could ask for. I cannot look at a sunset
without him in my memory. His sister, Summer, is still with
us and we all miss him dearly. We loved our son very much and
will never forget him.
Kyra
UPDATE 10-26-07 — Hi,
My dog Kyra has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma. She is an
8 year old Rottweiler. She was diagnosed in December 2006 and
underwent a hemi-mandibilectomy. This involved the amputation
of half her bottom jaw in January 2007. She had 4 rounds of
chemotherapy. Then her left eye started to look unusual and
we brought her to an ophthalmologist. To make a long story
short, she had her eye removed and is now going through another
round of chemotherapy. Her chest xrays continue to be free
of cancer and she is doing great. You would never know that
she has OS. She is awesome. We have great doctors for her and
she is surrounded by love and continues to flourish from all
the attention. Here is a couple of pics....
I tried to make this a short story, sorry.....
All-A-Round LA Shadeauxman
born February 16th, 1993 — died November 26th, 2005
UPDATE 09-05-07 — Shadeuxman
you will forever be in my heart and on my mind. Whatever I
wanted you to do you were ready for it. We had so much fun
running in the agility ring, showing off in the obedience ring,
me watching you herd sheep and jumping for the stars to catch
a frisbee. You and your brother Boomer were best buddies but
you were my red dog heartbeat. You were always so active and
had a bright smile on your face. Your Dad and I watched cancer
rob us of a wonderful dog that will never be forgotten. For
almost 13 years we loved you with all our hearts. I held you
in my arms while cancer took you away. You are now the brightest
star in the sky and the wind chime that rings out in the big
oak tree. I feel you waiting around for your brother Boomer
because the two of you did everything together. Wait for me
too Shad My Man . . . . . . . . . I'll love you forever
— Mom
HONDO
UPDATE 07-20-07 —
HONDO is the best dog in the world!
His ears, his tail, his beautiful eyes, his perfect calm spirit
. . . I shall miss him so . . .
" i carry your heart with me, i carry it in my heart and i'm never without
it.
anywhere i go, you go, my dear." — e.e.cummings
— Kristin
MAX ONIFFREY
UPDATE 06-29-07 —
My Boxer Max, was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma
last year (2006) on Memorial Day weekend, after I came home
to find him unable to get up, and unwilling to eat. They brought
him into surgery and found a small tumor on his spleen (which
was cancerous). After removing his spleen, the vet advised
me of my options - 6 rounds of chemo ($250 each) or approx
2-3 months left with Max. He also mentioned that even with
the chemo, he'd probably only survive about 6 months. After
a couple weeks of talking to family and friends and a few people
who had been through this, I decided to go ahead with the chemo.
I am happy to say that now, over a year later (and about $6000
in debt (surgery and chemo), Max seems to be doing very well,
and hasn't had any issues since. Is the cancer gone? I don't
know, and it's hard to test for it, I was told. But, I'm so
glad I made the decision to go ahead with the chemo, and I
would do it again in a minute. He is totally worth it!!!
— Christine
COPPER
UPDATE 6-28-07 — Tribute
for Copper
In the beginning of May, 2007 just days after
receiving the referral of our baby girl that we are adopting
in China, we learned that our sweet boy of nearly 13 years
old had Fibrosarcoma cancer. The tumor was above and around
his left eye, and into his brain. He had been exhibiting some
signs of anxiousness over the past year, but Copper had always
been this type of dog. Our vet never suspected cancer. Not
until the day when we were in the vet's office and my husband
was the one to notice the small lump on his head. They xray'd
and did a biopsy and sure enough, we were left with the most
devastating news. Our Copper passed peacefully on June 26th,
2007.
My Copper, you are, were, and always will
be my love, my light, my soul. You have given me the tools
I need to become a Mom to our baby Hannah from China. I know
you were given to us for this reason, and let me tell you my
friend, you did one heck of a job. I have never loved anything
or anyone as hard as I did you. I hurt so badly right now,
I feel empty and alone. I miss you terribly, and am not sure
how to breathe without you. I am scared, but I know that you
are now happy and no longer in pain. Knowing that I will find
a way to go on. Know that I will love you forever and ever
and I long for the day that I will be able to kiss your nose
and head again. My dear sweet angel, rest in peace, and live
the life now that you so deserve to have. Until we meet again...................
— Colleen
FILLY
UPDATE 06-26-07 —
Thank you so much! Filly passed away last
Monday after her second round of chemotheraphy. We are all
grieving at the lost of such a very special companion. Thanks
for your support and kindness.
— Linda
UPDATE 06-01-07 —
I found your site this morning as I was trying
to learn more about Canine Cancer. My twenty-nine year old
disabled daughter, Angela, received her Golden Retriever service
dog a year ago from Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa,
California. Two weeks ago she noticed that her dog was not
getting into her van as easily as before, and that her neck
seemed to be hurting her. She took Fillie to the vet and they
prescribed relaxant medication telling her that she probably
strained her neck playing with the other dogs.
In less than a week, she had a seizure and
was screaming in pain. We took her to emergency and then, when
she was stable, up to the institute vet. They thought she had
meningitis and began ordering tests. The outcome was stage
4 Lymphoma with cancer also in her spinal cord.
ADI is preforming all the tests and treatment
free and housing my daughter so that she can be with her dog
and grief the ultimate lost. They are providing her the support
at this difficult time. For Angela, her companion dog is her
companion. It seems so cruel that a girl who has suffered all
her life with disability and pain would also have her dog be
taken from her by cancer.
Please continue to provide information to
people dealing with canine cancer. It helps, even just a little,
to know that there are people out there who care. Also if you
can give me information how I can support her through this
lost, I would appreciate it. I just don't know what to say
to her.
Sincerely,
Linda Rodrigues
ANGEL
UPDATE 6-20-07 — My
Angel, a 7 year-old Lab mix, was diagnosed with cancer in January
2007. She had a malignant thyroid tumor. She was given a "grave" prognosis,
months to live. Chemo was suggested, but I just could not see
doing that to her, especially since the prognosis was not any
better with or without it. So I got busy, learning about alternative
treatments and consulted a holistic vet in New Orleans , Dr.
Adriane Segrera, who prescribed a high-fat, high-protein diet
and a regime of supplements. I made other changes, like getting
rid of all chemicals in my home, cleaning now only with vinegar
and water (and a touch of bleach for deep cleaning jobs), and
holistic treats (fruit and veggies).
Today, 6 months later, Angel is
doing great! A recent chest x-ray showed no metastasis. She
is happy and healthy and doing very well.
Peace,
Patty Meehan
Sunset, Louisiana
PESTO
September 1, 1997 — May 17, 2007
In Memory of
Pesto
We lost our beloved Aussie, "Pesto",
after a brief but courageous battle with hemangiosarcoma. Pesto
was first diagnosed in April 2007, after she began showing
symptoms of anemia and was occasionally, and very uncharacteristically,
off her food. We took her to her regular vet, and an ultrasound
showed a large tumor on her spleen. The vet wasn’t able to
tell if it was malignant or not without the biopsy results,
but said it looked very suspicious and recommended a splenectomy.
Pesto had never been sick a day in her life and was an otherwise
healthy, strong dog, so we decided to follow his advice and
had her spleen removed with the growth. While doing the surgery,
the vet saw no signs of growths spreading to her other organs.
The biopsy results on the tumor showed definite
presence of hemangiosarcoma. The vet explained to us the likelihood
of the cancer returning quickly, and once this happens the
end usually comes soon thereafter. He said it was a good sign
that they did not see obvious metastasizing at that point,
and that she might have many months to live. We decided not
to pursue chemotherapy after considering the suffering it would
cause Pesto and the very slim chances of it actually prolonging
her life in a significant manner. So, we brought her home to
her mom, Sheila, and she recovered very quickly from her surgery,
returning to full activity without three weeks. When I came
home from college, she was back to playing vigorous games of
tug-of-war in the backyard with Sheila (their favorite game!)
and I took them on several walks in the days after I got home,
down to the beach and on long car-rides … all some of Pesto’s
favorite things to do. She was always in good spirits, especially
when she got to be with us, and even when she was sick I never
saw her show even an ounce of bad temperament. She was just
a happy girl who loved life – one of my favorite memories of
her is how she would just run and run when we first let her
loose on the ocean beach, stretching her long legs and galloping
in big circles around us. What a beautiful animal.
Two days ago, I took Pesto and Sheila out
for what turned out to be our last afternoon walk, along a
bluff overlooking the Puget Sound. Pesto was doing so well;
she even jumped up on a rock wall and walked along it for a
while, seemingly back to her usual silly self. That night,
she gobbled up dinner, and when we had company over for supper
she was squirming her way under our chairs, as usual keeping
a close but nonchalant eye on any scraps that might come her
way … and she went out for the night with a cookie, happy as
always. But when my father got up in the morning and went out
to feed them breakfast, Pesto was just not right. She was lethargic,
weak, barely made it up to the door to greet her dad. He came
and got us and we all sort of knew that this was the end; she
was so sick, and even before her splenectomy she’d never looked
this bad. Her gums were pure white and her nose was so cold.
She seemed to be really suffering, too, and it was so awful
to see our cheerful little girl in so much pain. We took her
right to the emergency vet, where they found that she was bleeding
out in her abdomen; apparently the cancer had already metastasized
in the four weeks since her surgery, and one of the growths
had burst. We made the excruciating decision to put her to
sleep; it was so hard for all of us to let go of our baby girl
– she was born in our garage and I think that from her first
day, we became her "pack". We were the only family
she ever knew. At 9 1/2 years young, she was still a puppy
most of the time, always following one of us around the house
or yard with a toy stuffed in her mouth, or playing tireless
games of fetch. Even though we’d tried to prepare ourselves
for this day we knew was coming, it arrived so much sooner
than any of us had imagined it would: not even six weeks had
passed since we’d found the growth on her spleen. I know she
didn’t want to leave us – I’ve never known a more loyal dog,
she was literally there without fail, every time you turned
around or called her name – but I hope she understands that
we had to let her go and that she will wait in peace until
we can be with her again.
Sheila misses her especially, I think; she
had gotten so used to Pesto being her ears (Sheila is completely
deaf now) and also her closest companion. They groomed each
other by the hour, and it was so cute the way they would fetch
in tandem, each picking up one end of their rope Kong and tugging
it all the way down the lawn. Today, I tried to throw it for
Sheila by herself, and while she runs down the lawn to pick
it up, when she gets there she just stands over it and looks
around – waiting for Pesto to sweep in and grab it away. Things
won’t ever be the same around here without our silly little
girl.
Pesto, we love you so much and miss you deeply
… you wormed your way into our house and hearts (and beds,
usually, too!), and you’ve left some mighty big holes, many
of which will never be filled. You were God’s blessing to us,
and I think to me in particular – when I asked him for a brown-eyed,
blue merle girl, I never imagined I would really get one someday
– and one so perfect, at that. You were my dream come true,
and I will miss you forever.
I hope there are many squirrels
up there for you to chase.
Love from your "pack",
— Sheila, Amanda, Mom, Dad,
and Sophie.
DAKOTA
Yesterday May 11. 2007 we lost our favorite
Big Dog Dakota to Osteosarcoma of the jaw. Dakota was diagnosed
in August and we were told by many vets that chemo would maybe
buy him a few months. We immedietly started Dakota on all kinds
of herbs and vitamins and healthy meals like veggie stew and
salmon - which he could never get enough of. We did do chemo
for a few months but were told it could start messing up his
heart if we kept going - so we stopped chemo and focused on
holisitc medicine. Dakota was such a warrior - even with all
the bleeding - which he had plenty of - his spirit stayed strong
and kept up a fight to the end. I never met a dog like Dakota
- he truly was one of a kind. Such a handsome guy with so much
love in his heart and such a strong will to live. Over the
last few weeks I saw him really slow down and the tumors growing
in his mouth became so angry and I just felt so helpless -
but the big dog still had his appetite until the end. Dakota
had friends all over the world - he made such an impression
on everybody he met - he will be truly missed.
— Amy
O’REILLY
O’Reilly Overall was diagnosed in April
2007, with Lymphoma. She is currently at Stage V, with 95%
involvement of bone marrow. We currently have O’Reilly
under the 25 week University of Wisconsin-Madison treatment,
augmented with vitamin therapy. The biggest concern is that
there may not be enough bone marrow to recover. The week of
April 25 was good, O’Reilly is energetic and happy. When
we were given O’Reilly’s diagnosis, we were shocked.
Though she is a pound pup, she has always been strong, happy
and a great friend to family and friends (a couple of mail
carriers may take exception to that statement). The family
continues to pray for her comfort and happiness.
Best regards,
— Curtis B. Overall
CASEY
October 5, 1996 — March 5, 2007
In memory of
my Beloved Aussie Casey:
I lost my beloved friend Casey to a tumor
in his stomach, it took only a month to lose him, before I
knew it he was a very sick boy, I had no idea he was so sick
until it was too late.
He started all of the sudden vomiting and
not eating, I took him to the vet, the vet ran every test we
could think of, every test came back normal. Then Casey started
to eat again, not a lot, but he was eating, and keeping it
down. He never stopped being the active Casey he was, even
at 10 1/2 years old, he loved to play all the time. Then about
a week before he died, he started vomiting again, the vet gave
him stronger medicine to see if he would respond as well as
he did the first time, this was on a Friday, I tried all weekend
long to get him to eat.
He just became weaker and weaker, all he wanted
to do was lay on my garage floor. It took everything he had
to go out and feed my horses with me, that was his favorite
thing to do, was feed the horses and watch the ducks, chase
birds, and have fun. On Monday March 5th, I didnt even call
the vet, I took him right down to the clinic, I gave Casey
a hug, and the vet said he needs to do exploratory surgery
on him. I got a call 3 hours later with terrible news, the
vet found a tumor in his stomach, there was nothing he could
do for him. After he sewed Casey up, Casey stopped breathing,
his body had enough.
I lost my beloved friend that day, during
this month-long process of him being sick, never did I ever
think it was cancer. I tried everything to save my friend,
he was everything to me. I am so thankful the morning before
I took him to the vet, I got on the floor with him and told
him whatever happens today, never forget how much I love him,
I know he knew what I was saying, he nudged me with his nose.
I am so thankful for that moment, because when I dropped him
off at the clinic, I thought I was going to get to see him
again, so I did not have that final goodbye, he died on the
operating table.
Casey and I had a bond that was very special,
he did everything with me, he waited for me after we fed my
horses in the morning to get my cup of coffee, he followed
me into my office and sat with me on the couch. The house is
so lonely without him, I am in shock that my friend died of
cancer, he was so healthy besides that tumor, life is not fair,
he was taken from me too early. I am so sorry Casey that I
could not save you, I tried so hard, it broke my heart to see
you so sick, and there was nothing I could do for you to make
you better. Casey and I had 10 1/2 wonderful year together,
he took care of me and was always there for me with unconditional
love, I will never forget my beloved friend. Rest in peace
Casey boy, we will see each other again, I hope you are watching
over me.
— Luv, your momma
Y Z
UPDATE 8-12-07 — hello
all. I found the group back in April, after my Australian Cattle
Dog, Y Z, was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma following an emergency
Spleenectomy. Pam was kind enough to return my e-mails, and
offer gentle words of hope and camaraderie.
I have "lurked" about, reading oh-so-many
posts . . . some enlightening, many heartbreaking, but I found
safety and solace in the knowledge Y Z and I where not alone.
I decided to go the holistic route, with acupuncture.
We had a beautiful 3 good months! Y Z and I even managed to
join the local "Share-A-Pet" chapter. Unfortunately,
we where never able to attend any hospital/nursing home visits,
because Y Z had some crummy days in between the good days.
Then, the second week of July, we began to
have problems again. He had a blood transfusion, and after
3 days, was feeling fine & frisky again. A follow-up ultrasound
revealed that the cancer had metastasized to his liver, and
he had a bleed into his abdomen at the time. The doctor predicted
we had 2-4 weeks left to be together.
So it was forbidden days on the beach, lots
of people food and cake and Baskin-Robbins! It was a time of
no-more meds, new GOOD drugs (pain medications) and one more
blood transfusion, just to &pep& him up due to his
anemia. It was trips to the dog park and a (short) camping
trip to the Everglades. (which we did frequently before he
was sick).
August 9, 2007. The Florida morning dawned
bright and lovely, and YZ had a nice day. A little lethargic,
but we had gotten used to that. The new Zubrin seemed to be
providing much better pain control than the Rimadyl and didn't
knock him out like the Torbutrol. He made sure that his arch-enemy,
the vacuum, did not damage any of our property or harm me that
morning as I cleaned the house. He swam in the lake, and layed
in the glorious morning sunshine. He even had enough pep to
herd the resident ducks in the yard.
That evening, my boyfriend and I watched the
movie "300". It was midnight, and he got up to walk
the dogs one last time before bed. Y Z had been sleeping in
his orthopedic doggie bed by the television. The next thing
I know, Jan is screaming for me from outside the house. Y Z
had collapsed! I scooped him up and rushed him inside, where
I proceeded to make him comfy.
He was in severe respiratory distress, and
I knew that that night was the night my best friend, my working
companion, my fuzzy-bucket, my sun, my greatest friend was
going to leave me. I made him comfortable upstairs, gave him
the Morphine my vet (and best friend) had given me to give
him at this exact time, and slept with him on the floor of
our bedroom.
At 5 a.m., everything happened so quickly!
Y Z began to pant, and I saw fear in his eyes. I knew it was
time. We rushed him to the emergency clinic by my house, but
he was unresponsive by the time we got there. He was still
breathing . . . but the wonderful soul within him was gone.
I had a rather unpleasent experience at the clinic which I
will refrain from reliving here. Let's just say I missed his
last breath because the vet (who did not know me) would not
listen to me. (remember,I have been working in the animal care
field in this town for 11 years, and delivery blood products
to ALL the hospitals in the tri-county area).
After we left the clinic, my boyfriend and
I where in shock. I was at peace, knowing that Y Z's battle
was over. Jan, on the other hand, was besides himself with
grief. He never had a pet before he met me, and this was the
first animal he had ever lost. He openly admitted he denied
everything when I told him the severity of the situation Y
Z was in the first day his diagnosis was made.
We sat outside, in lawn chairs, on our lake,
and watched the sun rise below a sharp, crescent moon. It was
a translucent sunrise, and it helped give me much closure.
For I had believed in my heart of hearts that Y Z would pass
before tonight's meteor shower, that he would simply just ride
thru the stars and leave the bindings of his doggie body.
Now my life has taken on a different pace.
It truly feels as if I had a whole punched into my body, and
it is now vacant. I have been in a lost state of mind these
past 2 days, but I was prepared. As a vet tech, I have aided
thousands of animals, and their families, in difficult times.
I know all the ins and outs of grief. But it doesn't make this
time any easier. If anything, I feel worse, because I can analyse
myself!
I wanted to thank each and every one of you
for sharing your stories, and allowing others to share your
grief and smiles. Every dog is special, and each is an individual.
My greatest sorrow lies not in the selfish fact my dog is not
by my side . . . but it lies in the fact I will never know
that personality again.
Thank you all again. My thoughts are with
each and everyone of you. You are all the most wonderful of
people. It is a shame I have "met" you through such
distressing circumstances. All of you are wonderful people
that I would delight in meeting in real life.
— Roxanne (and Y Z)
My dog Y Z, and his battle with hemangiosarcoma:
We are allotted only a handful of true soul
mates in our lifetime. Y Z is mine. He is still alive, and
recovering well from his emergency spleenectomy on Sunday,
April 1. It was no joke! I'm a veterinary technician, and his
veterinarian, Dr. Sharon Glass, has not only been my employer,
but my greatest friend as well.
After a two month roller-coaster ride, with
many radiographs, 3 ultrasounds, and 4 nights of hospitalization
(at Dr. Glass' clinic and the local E.R. for Pets), all we
knew was that Y Z had free fluid in his abdomen.
He sailed through surgery like a champ, and
now he's feeling 100% better! If he had it his way, he'd be
herding the ducks on our lake and playing ball; but the doc
made it quite clear that he is not to be active for 2 weeks.
Just found out today the results of the pathology — hemangiosarcoma.
I am not going to pursue chemotherapy; rather,
we are going to go the Holistic route. We have an appointment
for Therapy Dog certification next week, which was arranged
prior to his illness. Doc says he's fine to go! Maybe we'll
go to cancer wards and retirement homes and give people hope
and a smile!
Y Z is 10 years old. He's my soul-mate,
and we are going to enjoy every day as fully as we can!
— Roxanne
KASHA & TAZ
KASHA
March 2, 1994 — August 15, 2005
TAZ passed on June 15, 2007
My Rottweiler
Kasha
Osteosarcoma of the Jaw
My female Rottweiler, Kasha, was born March
2, 1994. During her life, Kasha had to deal with a couple orthopedic
issues. At two years of age, Kasha had TPLO of her left knee
and then much later at nine years of age, a standard ruptured
cruciate ligament repair of her right knee, with significant
arthritis in her joints and spine, even though you'd never
know it. She was on Rimadyl in her last two years and Soloxine
for low thyroid in her last year.
At just over 11 years old, she was diagnosed
with osteosarcoma of her jaw on June 15, 2005. Despite several
courses of antibiotics for secondary infection in her jaw as
well as a chronic bladder infection, the gangrene in her jaw
progressed, as did the tumor's size. The smell of what was
essentially rotting flesh was at times, overwhelming. Within
days after her diagnosis the tumor began to ooze blood, and
for several more weeks, the bloody drool was constant. I would
wipe her muzzle each time she ate or drank (or got to smelling
something outside that made her mouth water), and clean her
face each time she ate, and every day the floors and doggie
water bed where she had been laying.
I fed her kibble that had been softened in
water, broth and Body Balance, eventually adding canned Pedigree
Select Cuts. She stumbled a couple of times in July, and both
times came down on her chin, causing profuse bleeding from
her mouth, presumably from biting down on the tumor when she
fell. By the beginning of August she was eating reluctantly
at times, but at least eating. However by August 12, 2005,
I had to spoon feed her because she couldn't eat out of her
bowl and even then she wouldn't eat a whole meal. I had made
the decision on August 5th to have her euthanized in my home,
and eventually scheduled the appointment for August 15, 2005.
In the final couple of weeks of her life,
her eyes, so full of intelligence and love in years past, began
to show her fatigue and pain. In a matter of mere days, the
cancer moved into her upper left jaw, cheek and eye socket,
making her face look sunken and drawn on one side. I tried
to get my vet to my home sooner than the 15th but it was not
possible.
With the Secret Garden CD "Once in a Red Moon" playing,
sage and pinon burning, shades drawn and candles lighting my
living room, the vet administered a sedative. It took bare
moments for Kasha to lay down on the pallet of towels and a
sheet I had put on the floor for her, and I laid down beside
her, snuggled up to her back, spooning with my arm around her.
After several minutes of stroking her soft fur, crying my eyes
out but speaking quietly and lovingly to her, the vet injected
the final solution in a hind leg. It normally takes a few minutes
from there as opposed to a front leg vein, but before the injection
was even finished, Kasha had left us. She had been so very,
very tired; very ready to go, and showed it by how quickly
her spirit abandoned her ailing body.
On April 12, 2007, Taz was diagnosed with
non-regenerating anemia, most likely caused by hemangiosarcoma.
He has a walnut-sized tumor on his spleen, and black, tarry
stools, indicating blood loss through his intestines. He is
easily tired and his appetite is spotty, with bouts of vomiting
every couple of weeks. The vet has given him up to several
months, if he doesn't crash from the anemia or a metastasis.
Due to his age and anemia, he is not a good candidate for aggressive
treatment, but we have put him on prednisone, sucralfate and
PetTabs vitamins to attempt some symptomatic relief and reduce
his bleeds.
I have been blessed with two great dogs in
my life who both have lived long, happy lives. If Taz needs
help leaving his failing body, I'll be there. In the meantime,
he gets all the red meat he wants, room on my bed and lots
of love.
— Rachelle Whitley
Durango, CO
Update 6-16-2007 — Taz
went down hill very quickly after his diagnosis on April 12,
2007, of hemangiosarcoma. It became very clearly in the last
3 weeks that he was becoming more limited in activity and just
trudging through his days. I made the decision a couple of
weeks ago to have him put to sleep yesterday (June 15, 2007),
exactly 2 months shy of 2 years from his "big sister’s" death
on August 15, 2005. With Kasha, the decision was so easy to
make, but with Taz, not so much. Still, I knew he was just
not enjoying life anymore, and the most basic of activities,
from eating to elimination, were a struggle. He was very weak,
didn’t want to go up or down the 3 steps to get outside, and
often just plunked right down on the ground instead of getting
out there and pottying. I took him to the vet yesterday – Becky
James at Aspentree Vet Clinic – who has cared for both my dogs
for several years. She is absolutely the kindest, gentlest
of people and was right there with me, giving Taz his last
hugs, kisses and belly scratches. After examining him, she
told me that his spleen had enlarged significantly since her
April exam and that the splenic tumor was at least 3 times
the size it had been and completely palpable on his spleen.
Though I still had a little voice wondering if I was making
the right decision, she and I agreed it was time to help him
pass. The future potential was for a major hemorrhage to occur
at a time when I was not around and he would end up having
a painful, possibly extended, and lonely passing, and that
it could be weeks more of further degeneration of his condition.
As Becky hovered with that damned needle of pink fluid, I only
thought about it another moment and nodded. Taz had already
been sedated at that point, so it was just a matter of feeling
his chest stop moving. Just as with Kasha, I laid on the floor
beside him, spooning around his back with my face buried in
his neck. Once he was gone, I grabbed another tissue and wiped
my tears from his fur. His ashes will join Kasha’s in an urn
I bought for the both of them. I don’t know if I’ll get another
dog any time soon. Kasha and Taz were my first, and they may
have been my last.
— Rachelle
JEWEL
For Kathy, Ellie, & Marla — In memory
of Jewel.
— Shannon
BUCK
November 1998 — March 26, 2007
Buck was diagnosed with a nondifferentiated
carcinoma in his mouth on 11/1/2004. He was treated with radiation
for the tumor and it quickly vanished. However, 4 months later,
a new tumor surfaced. That too was defeated, this time through
surgery. New tumors kept appearing about 90 days after the
last one was defeated. In March of last year, a particularly
stubborn tumor appeared on the outside of his gum that did
not respond to radiation. We were able to manage its growth
for quite some time with chemo. But the tumor eventually spread
across the roof of his mouth and began to interfere with his
eating, drinking and breathing. I had to send him to the Rainbow
Bridge today, March 26, 2007, 876 days after his first diagnosis.
Throughout the whole ordeal, he kept his spirit and playfulness.
His tail kept wagging, and his eyes always shone brightly,
until catracts, the result of radiation treatment near his
eyes, dimmed his sight in June of last year. Buck adjusted
well to having limited vision, and I learned how to guide him
along so he did not need to be on a leash during our walks
so he could maintain his sense of pride and independence. He
developed diabetes on New Years Day of this year as his organs
began to slowly fail. He and I were able to manage his diabetes
pretty well after we got used to it. But he began losing weight
in large chunks, sometime 3 lbs a week, until he had lost 25
lbs overall. He was able to lose some of the weight without
a problem, as I fed him well during his battle. On March 22,
he slipped on some ice and injured his left hind leg, and that
seemed to be the last straw for him. He was not the same after
that, and the tumor in his mouth grew quickly over the next
couple days. It seemed as though he had lost his will to fight
the cancer, and the cancer took advantage of this weakness.
Buck taught me the true meaning of courage, as he refused to
ever show how poorly he must have felt after his treatments.
Buck just turned 8 in November, and was a fighter right up
until his last day. The fight ran out of him last night and
he let me know he was ready. He had an incredible will to live
and an indomitable spirit. He touched many lives in his time,
and will be missed by many, many people. He will forever be
in my heart, and never out of my thoughts.
— Frank
"No matter how deep my sleep,
I shall hear you and not all the power of death can keep my
spirit from wagging a grateful tail."
— Eugene O'Neill
ZEUS
December 1996 — March 2007
On February 5, 2007 we brought our beloved
10 year old German Shepherd, Zeus, to the doctor convinced
he was suffering from an upset stomach. During an ultrasound,
a very large mass was found on his spleen. We were given the
grim diagnoses of Hemangiosarcoma. We were told we could operate
on him or put him "to sleep" .
We chose to have his spleen removed. During
the surgery more cancer was found on his abdominal wall, his
liver, his lungs, his heart and his prostate. We got a phone
call from the operating room asking if we wanted to continue
- since he wasn’t being given much of a chance. We continued.
I wanted to get my dog home, I didn’t want the last faces he
remembered seeing being that of the operating room staff. He
stayed in the hospital for 5 days. This hospital was three
hours away from our home but I drove back and forth every single
day, so I could sit and visit with my baby everyday. When we
got him home - you could tell how happy he was. We spoiled
him, relished in his love, and poured love onto him every single
day. We tried chemotherapy, I gave him natural herbs, I tried
anything to prolong his time with us.
During his whole life, my dog protected me
with such fearless devotion. He loved me with every ounce of
his soul. He followed me every step that I took. He stayed
by me while I was sick, he appreciated every bit of attention
I gave to him. He was overjoyed to see me when I returned from
being out. He went with me to work, he swam with the kids in
the lake, went camping with us, knew the right "look" to
give to receive a treat. He knew when you needed him to place
his head on your lap when you were upset. When he saw you take
his leash out he would become so overjoyed, that it almost
became impossible to put it on him. He watched over us, "his" family,
with such a soulful, protective, loving eye. We were the joy
of his life, and he in ours.
On March 26, 2007, after a month and a half
battle with Hemangiosarcoma, I lost my beloved angel. I buried
a piece of my heart with him that will remain broken forever.
And as my tears continue to flow, I know in
my soul, I am a better person, I am more enriched . . . simply
because I had the love of my Zeus. As long a period of time
he was in my life, I will still always wish for just one more
day.
I know you are waiting for me Zeus, and I
will be there with you one day - I will eagerly open my arms
as you race towards me . . . until then, I will hold you in
my heart.
Goodnight, my love.
— Melissa
BREEZE
Breeze is a 5 year old Irish Wolfhound who
was diagnosed with osteosarcoma Dec. 29, 2006. She had her
left front leg amputated January 3, 2007. She is doing wonderful.
She's a happy girl who is almost through her chemotherapy.
She runs around the house, goes up and down the stairs with
ease.
She is a fighter!! and my love
— andie
TINA
March 7, 1997 — February 12, 2007
Last month, my beloved, 9 years 11 months
old black Pug, Tina, started to cough continuously during the
night. Thinking it was just a cold, I tool her to the vet the
next day where I was referred to a specialty hospital here
in Puerto Rico. I took her there and to make the long and devastating
story short, after being hospitalized for 2 weeks, she was
diagnosed with lung cancer. The veterinarian operated on her
and removed all of the masses and found out that she had cancer
in her ovaries and from there, passed to the lung. She had
a hard time in her operation and she was even given Epinephrine
because she "died" and came back. Her desire to live
was amazing and Tina was back home after 4 days. We took so
good care of her and even though she had 37 stitches from her
belly up to her chest, she never lost her spirit. Last Monday,
(February 5, 2007) she started her first chemotherapy. She
was very happy until Saturday afternoon when she had a relapse
and started having trouble breathing. That night, I started
researching the internet looking for information on what I
could do or expect. I found your site which has been a Godsend.
Tina got worse and on Sunday morning, she slept with me in
my arms for 3 hours. She was lethargic and breathing heavily,
cold, feverish and she was shivering. I knew her time had come.
I only prayed to God not to let her die with the stitches on.
She held until yesterday, (Monday). My sister took her to the
clinic for her second chemotherapy, but she was already too
weak and hadn't slept during the weekend. She just sat looking
at me all the time, and I didn't know what to do. The veterinarian
told me she did some X-Rays and put her in the cage and she
went to check on her a couple of times and she "sleeping," but
when she noticed she did not move in a while, she knew Tina
was gone. I received the devastating call and went to see her
with my two daughters and my sister. To our surprise, Tina
was facing backwards and died in her favorite sleeping position.
With her right paw under her chin. She suffered a lot this
past weekend; and her loss is as if your heart is being ripped
off your chest. But I thank God she didn't die with her stitches
on and I didn't have to put her to sleep. She held on to die
at the clinic for she didn't want to die at home. When I smelled
her, she smelled like flowers; like heaven . . . . . it was
unbelievable . . . as if God had kissed all over when he took
her . . . . . .
I thank Canine Cancer Awareness, because I
have learned so much during this weekend from your site. I
didn't know female dogs had to be spayed. Ironically, I have
three more female dogs (strays) which are spayed and the love
of my life which was Tina, I never did it on her. Thank you
so much for your site; I just bought some stuff from your store
and I hope to become a monthly donator. Through your Faces
of Courage, I have learned that I was not alone; neither did
I know that so many dogs suffered from this terrible disease.
I hope that you keep up the good work. In the meantime, I am
planning on sending a picture of my beloved Tina to you with
a short story on her, and I hope, in time, you post it and
I'm also picking up a new black Pug tomorrow. It will never
fill the space Tina left, but I'm sure she will help us to
heal.
Tina March 7, 1997 — February 12, 2007
: Our beloved Pug. She never even opened her mouth to bark.
Humble, loving, happy and caring. I did the best I could for
you and I am sure you are resting happily now and that we will
see you soon in doggie heaven.
Thanks,
— Velmarie
Puerto Rico
LOBO
2003 — February 14, 2007
Our beloved LOBO, diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma,
gone from our lives, February 14, 2007.
Oh me, not only do my husband and I miss our beautiful Siberian,
150 lbs., best friend. Yes, 150 lbs., but he was the most gentle,
kind soul you would ever met. He was a quiet gent, and only
howled instead of barking when he would see you as if to say,
HELLO. He would climb on the bed at nite and cuddle like a
baby by my husband's feet. Yes, he took up a big portion of
the bed, because we have his sister, 85 pound Gypsy too and
Sadie an Austrian Shepard and Thunder (German Shepard) both
rescue doggies. They were all best buds and played and slept
and ate together. They had the best time. It was so fun to
watch them run thru the yard and we would walk around the yard
together as our daily, Walk . . .
He loved his walk, because he got a back rub
afterwards . . . We thought he came down with a cold from us,
so we let it pass, then all of a sudden he started walking
with a limp on his back leg, we thought ok, he is only 4 yrs.
old, maybe he has early arthritis or joint problems, we doctored
him, then within a week, he seemed to get weaker and you could
see him breathing harder and harder as if he could not catch
his breathe. But he could not longer just step upon the bed
which is easy for his size. He would lay in the floor and just
look at us. We decided ok, it is time to go see the doctor.
You see, he was just there in June, 2006 for his physical and
all was fine . . .
But, this time, all was NOT fine. We took him
in and first the doctor thought tick disease, we knew better,
he is not around that surroundings. Then maybe poisoned . .
. Oh no!! BUT it was worse, he had Hemangiosarcoma (cancer)
spleen, kidneys possibly heart and all over. We can do surgery
but life expectancy is not that good . . . We cried that nite,
Lobo stayed overnite the vet wanted to watch over him to see
what else might be going on. He comforted him with pain meds.
The next day, after extensive research and crying both of us
all nite . . .
We had to put him down. Our hearts broke, his
companions are now crying at night for they miss their buddy
and they roam over the back yard looking for Lobo. We cannot
find him, they all look at me with such sad eyes as if to say
where is LOBO, mom?? When I drive to the store and come back
they are excited, and then saddened to find LOBO is once again
not with me. Lobo, was better then any human friend could possibly
be, for he did love you unconditionally and greeted you as
if to say, I LOVE YOU for taking care of me. Lobo, will be
forever missed and always in our hearts. We are told all in
time it will get easier. Yes, we understand, but our hearts
still hurt for our BEST FRIEND, our little guy, LOBO. We love
you and miss you.
— Daddy and MOM, (your sibling
sister Gypsy) and other companions, Sadie Belle and Thunder
too . . .
SKAGIT
1993 — 2007
Skagit was the product of a midnight rendezvous
between our two adult dogs in the back of a Honda Civic. He
spent the first 4 months of his life traveling around the Pacific
Northwest in the back of a Toyota pickup with his mom, dad,
and seven siblings. Not a bad introduction to the world!
Of the two pups we kept, Skagit definitely
was my dog. The others could run like mad, fetch tennis balls,
and catch all the Frisbees in the world; Skagit and I would
hang out with a cool drink and watch the action.
Not that he was a total couch potato. He loved
long walks on the beach and hikes in the mountains. But his
first calling was to be my buddy. He saw me through extended
periods of living alone and, eventually, a divorce. He was
a faithful and constant companion and his steady presence helped
me through many rough and lonely times.
In the fall of 2004 Skagit was diagnosed with
a nasal carcinoma. Ironically, I had run into my ex at the
vet's office and he told me Skagit's dad had died the previous
year of the same disease. That prompted me to get the bump
on his nose checked out.
We are fortunate to live near Portland Veterinary
Oncology Center, one of only 50 such treatment centers in the
country. Skagit went though a round of radiation therapy, which
was expected to buy him a year. He lasted over two.
During the last few months of his life he
slowed down considerably, and his vets felt he probably had
developed lymphoma. Given his age and already-compromised health,
we opted to forgo radical treatments and just keep him comfortable.
In the last couple of weeks the tumor in his nose began to
compromise his breathing, and we knew it was near his time.
Today we hung around the house together, being
close. This afternoon we drove to a local park so Skagit could
lie in the grass under the warm sun and see the river. From
there we went to the vet where he received a shot and slipped
quietly away.
There is a huge hole in our lives now, which
we are trying desperately to fill with memories. But it just
isn't the same as a warm furry guy with droopy eyes and drool
landing on your knee . . .
— Linda
KIANA
May 10, 1997 — January 20, 2007
On December 14th we took Kiana in to have
two lumps under her nipple looked at, also a lump under her
front left leg. They didn’t think that it was cancer and treated
her with antibiotics thinking that she had a mammary infection.
Ten days went by and no change, finally on December 27th we
decided that she needed to have surgery to find out what’s
going, she had a full mastectomy on her left side. The courage
and strength that my baby showed through all of this was inspiring.
Two hours after surgery she got up and walked out of the vet’s
office and came home. I was up with her off and on for 3 days,
sleeping on the floor so that her slightest need would be met
if she needed anything. The results of the biopsy were grim,
highly aggressive, high grade, carcinoma also in the lymphatic
system. I really didn’t understand, but I knew that it was
bad . . .
On January 3rd we brought her to UC Davis
Medical Center to have her looked at, her left leg was getting
swollen, we found out that the tumors we blocking her lymph
nodes in the leg and it wasn’t draining properly. The attending
veterinarian suggested an oncologist see Kiana. The following
Tuesday we took her in again to UC Davis Oncology Department,
he suggested that we " put her down." We fell apart,
I just couldn’t do it right then. He prescribed pain medication
to help her and if she was well enough he would do chemotherapy
on her in the next couple of days.
That Friday, January 12th, we took her back
to find out if she could handle the treatment. The Dr. said
she looked a lot better and that he would treat her. She handled
the chemotherapy great, no side effects. The following Friday,
January 19th she just didn’t look well, both of her back legs
were now swollen and she was in obvious pain. After a long
a grueling night of what to do, we decided that we could not
let her suffer any longer. Kiana’s pain ended on January 20th
at 11pm. We were with her until her final breath, it was the
hardest thing that I’ve ever had to do. I love her and miss
her every minute of every day.
I would like to let everyone know, please
spay your dog before her first heat, there is virtually NO
chance of her getting mammary cancer if spayed. This was something
that I didn’t know.
Thank you for reading Kiana’s story, if she
can help one dog from getting mammary cancer she will not have
died in vain.
— Shari M. Oki
Walnut Creek, CA
COREY
August 13, 2001 — January 27, 2007
I adopted Corey from the Palmetto Welsh Corgi
Club's rescue operation in the Spring of 2002. Corey was everything
you would expect in a Pembroke Welsh Corgi...and more. She
was loyal, courageous, and extremely friendly. We even shared
the same birthday!
When she was diagnosed with juvenile mange
as a puppy I became worried; but not Corey. She battled through
and in no time became a happy and healthy adult dog. Corey
had an insatiable appetite for life. She was always looking
to get into some sort of trouble whether it be trying to intimidate
Canadian Geese, chase squirrels, or backing down a Copperhead
Snake. But people were her favorite as she not-so-quietly made
her presence known wherever she went. She went on to become
the favorite of dog sitters and friends everywhere.
If a dog could be more loyal, I have yet to
see it. Corey was always there for me and from day one was
my best friend.
Corey was diagnosed with Canine Lymphoma in
August of 2006. As with all dogs, I was told without chemotherapy
she would have about 2-3 months. As with everything Corey had
done throughout her life, she ignored prediction and amazed
everyone around her by living a very healthy 6 months, giving
me the opportunity for one last great holiday season together.
During those 6 months, Corey went back to the Palmetto Welsh
Corgi Club’s annual picnic and became a poster-dog for Canine
Lymphoma within the club. She triumphantly paraded around the
other Corgis and made sure to introduce herself to everybody
in attendance. Corey had an excellent 6 months living with
Lymphoma taking several trips and exploring new things. She
took a trip to the beaches in South Carolina, the mountains
of North Carolina, and all over the parks and walking trails
in her city of Charlotte, NC. She even got to go to her favorite
store, PetSmart, more often.
On the morning of January 26, Corey visited
her vet for her monthly check-up. Though it was not one of
her better days, she seemed happy and upbeat while barking
at all the dogs and cats in the waiting room. Later in the
day Corey started having trouble breathing and something told
me this was the end. So I stayed with her all day. I took Corey
into the vet later that evening and peacefully ended her suffering.
I spend about 10 minutes saying goodbye before the vet came
in to end Corey’s pain. It’s a blur to me, but I remember her
being so good and looking into my eyes one last time as if
to say "thank you and goodbye."
The loss of Corey is devastating to me as
I think about her constantly. Everywhere I go is a reminder
of what she meant to me...and how much we loved each other.
I cannot put into words how incredibly grateful I am to have
shared a life with her. Corey taught me incredible strength,
perseverance, courage, and loyalty from which I am eternally
grateful. Cancer took my dog at only 5 years old, but I know
she will be watching down on me forever...and waiting for me
at the Rainbow Bridge.
In memory of Corey; August 13, 2001 — January
27, 2007.
— Mr. Terry Keyes
Charlotte, North Carolina
MISHA
August 24, 1996 — January 3, 2007
On Wednesday January 3rd Misha collapsed at
home. After our consultation with the Emergency Vet, it was
discovered that she had Hemangiosarcoma. At this point the
tumor surrounding the spleen had ruptured and she was bleeding
out. X-rays also indicated that there were traces of sarcoma
around her heart. Prognosis was not good. Neil and I were with
Misha 'til the end, it was a gut wrenching experience.
Our family is shortened by one and you can
really feel the void. In time we will heal and maybe fill that
void with a snake . . . who knows. Misha was a special "one
of a kind" girl and she touched everyone she met. She
will be with me and my family forever.
Yours truly,
— Belinda, Neil, Jacob and Dean
JOEY MCCLATCHEY
May 17, 1989 — December 19, 2006
Joey was diagnosed with Large Cell Lymphoma
in March of 2006. Because of his age and other issues (Kidney
and Liver) the doctors and I thought it was not in his best
interest to pursue chemotherapy. They started him on prednisone
and informed me that he would most likely have a couple of
good months left and that I should enjoy the time that I had
left with him. Well to my amazement as well as his doctors
Joey fought and fought. He lost his battle with this disease
when we had to make the painful but thoughtful decision to
put him to sleep on December 19, 2006. It has been an amazing
10 months watching and helping him fight through this. Joey
was also deaf and blind. He was certainly a true fighter. This
was his second time with cancer. He was diagnosed in June of
2005 with anal gland adenocarcinoma. Surgery proved curative
with that and luckily it never spread.
Here is the rest of his story . .
.
Joey came into our lives 17 years ago. He has
been the best friend a human could ask for. He was so full
of life for so long. I thought he would live forever. He was
a true fighter even at the end. In his earlier years he loved
to roller blade with mommy. He loved fishing with mommy and
daddy even in his later years. He loved his toys (Christmas
was his favorite time of year). He loved to travel with mommy
and daddy. He loved nap time and morning-time. He loved to
eat (funny how he always knew when the food train was coming!).
Joey lived every day to the fullest. His last year was an inspiration
as to how much of a fighter he was. He had good days and bad
but was always content to be with mommy and daddy. We will
really miss his spirit.
Thank you for reading his story.
— Marie and Mike McClatchey
To Joey — You have taught us
patience, courage and sacrifice especially during this past
year. We would most certainly do it again. We would have loved
you to have made it through the holidays but it just wasn’t
meant to be. You are not here physically but in the true spirit
that you are, you will always be here in our hearts. You will
always be mommy’s "little man" and we will miss you
always.
— Love Mom and Dad
TAUNE
Taune had recently turned 13 when she was diagnosed
with gastrointestinal cancer and lymphoma. Throughout all of
her years, she always saw the doctor for checkups and shot
and any other needs she had. But we did not catch the cancer
until it was too late, even though she had geriatric blood
workups and xrays the last two years of her life. Taune was
my baby girl. She was kind hearted and sweet spirited. She
brought absolute joy to everyone who met her. She had HER recliner,
HER bedroom and HER sunroom in our home. She would tolerate
others sharing some of her rooms, but not her recliner. She
bounced through life happy and content with her sissies, Tasse
and Gracie. Taune loved to travel and visit with others, but
hated thunderstorms and fire works. I know when she passed
on July 18, 2006 that her other sissy, Tessa, was at the Rainbow
Bridge waiting on her. Taune was 13 years, 2 months and 1 week
when she passed away. She gave me some of the happiest years
of my life. I could go on forever telling stories of all of
her funny antics. Mostly, I just want people to know I loved
her and there is a big whole in my heart from her passing away.
I will NEVER forget what she meant to me and how much joy she
brought to my life.
Thank you for allowing me to share my story.
— Carol
POOCHIE PUPPY KISSES
July 2, 1992 – September 5, 2006
Poochie was just 10 weeks old when I first
saw her while passing a pet shop window. She looked very sad
and I knew I had to get her out of that cage. The first night
I made her a bed on the floor by mine. She cried and whimpered
and scratched the bed and after many failed attempts to tell
her the difference between my bed and hers, I brought her into
the bed with me and over 14 years, we rarely slept apart.
I know that Poochie was sent to me as a gift
from G-d to take care of me, to save my life, to give me a
reason to live. I made her a promise that I would never, ever
leave her and whenever I was convinced I had had enough of
this world (and there were many times) I would hold her and
remember my promise. She saved my life many times. Poochie
was my purpose in life.
Poochie was the best dog in the world and very
jealous and possessive. Every guy I dated had to pass the "Poochie
Test." In October 2003 I met Tommy and he met Poochie.
It was love at first site (for them). One year later for their
anniversary, Poochie presented Tommy with an adoption certificate
making him her official Doggie Daddy. What Poochie (and I)
didn't know was that Tommy had made an adoption certificate
for Poochie that same day. So on October 20, 2004, they adopted
each other and Tommy's Girl became Daddy's Girl. All the kissies
were now for Daddy. Poochie was so attached to me that no one
else could walk her. She would scream if I handed the leash
to anyone. When Tom got the leash, she would run to me for
help but if he carried her down, she learned to love walking
with her Daddy.
Being the Westie that she was, Poochie handled
injuries, illnesses and several surgeries with courage and
steadfastness. Nothing could stop her from playing. As she
got older, she would go for long walks but forget we needed
to walk back which left us carrying her a lot so for her 14th
birthday, Poochie got a Jeep Wrangler stroller. Every teenager
wants a car! She loved riding in it.
At the beginning of the summer of 2006, the
doctors found a mass in Poochie's abdomen. Biopsies were inconclusive
but they suspected hemangiosarcoma. By the middle of summer,
it was larger. By the end of summer, it was so big, it compressed
her nerves and she couldn't really use her back legs. She had
trouble breathing. They told us we were going to lose our baby.
We did whatever we could to make her comfortable. How could
she leave me? I didn't know how to live without her. She and
I knew she wouldn't make her 3rd anniversary with Daddy so
we ordered his gifts early. They arrived on Tuesday, September
5, 2006. Daddy loved his gifts. A few hours later, I heard
my baby cry for the first time in 14 years and I had to make
the hardest decision of my entire life. I never believed in
euthanasia but the cries of my baby drowned out the protests
in my head. My Poochie died in my arms that day and since then,
my world has been dark. Poochie is now resting at Hartsdale
Pet Cemetery and I am trying very hard to believe in the Rainbow
Bridge and remember all she taught me. But it's hard. We were
a team and now I am lost, very lost. I pray that my angel is
still watching over me.
Poochie, I love you and miss you. We will
be together again soon. Nothing can tear us apart.
— Forever, your Mommy.
PADDINGTON (aka Pad, Pee, Peedle, Padders)
January 9, 1990 - September 30, 2006
This is Paddington, my sweet baby boy, my little "egg" -
and his human dad, my husband Stephen.
Paddington was born in 1990, a small feisty
boy of unknown heritage. A mix of Cairn terrier and Lhasa Apso
was suspected, although we think there was more Cairn in him
given his temperment! Early in his life he was abandoned in
a shopping mall, where he was rescued by the Humane Society.
I adopted him when he was about 6 months old. Paddington enjoyed
a life of love. When I married Stephen in 1996, he even got
to travel to Hawaii where we lived in Honolulu for several
years. During his senior years, we moved to Florida, where
he essentially retired, living a life of leisure which he shared
with our other doggy love, Gizelle.
Gizelle and he loved each other, though Paddington
learned early on that his big sister was a bit more possessive
of her space and belongings that he was. Some days they would
lay butt to butt, other days she would growl every time he
passed her. Playing ball outside, we'd warn him not to touch "her" ball,
but sometimes the bad boy in him couldn't help it, and I'd
have to rescue him before he got in trouble. Still, they aged
gracefully together, and shared a deep bond, growing up spoiled
together.
Paddington was a loving soul. He loved licking
Stephen's head in bed, or licking behind his knees, or best
of all, the entire kneecap. He could lick for hours, on and
off, drinking a bit of water now and then to help in his grooming.
We called him a retired groomer, as that must have been his
career goal! He loved watching football, laying in bed, curled
up in the crook of Stephen's arms, raising his head if points
were scored and yelling was going on. He loved his squeaky
little dog-baseball-man toy. We joked that it was his one possession,
but yet he couldn't remember to take it with him when we'd
go away each summer to our home by the beach up north. Pad
loved food, he loved meeting new people, he loved walks...he
simply loved life. Everything in life, he thought it was for
his pleasure, yet he would share too. Pad had the softest fur,
we would kiss him and touch him and massage him always, burrowing
our faces in his belly, repeatedly kissing his sweet face.
He was a strong little guy, and had few problems
with his health until this past year. In April 2006, he was
diagnosed with left adrenal Cushings disease. While deciding
whether to have it treated surgically or continue with alternative
holistic treatment, he came down with a severe case of pancreatitis.
The speciality clinic where he was seen was amazed he survived.
He was there for a week, but walked out a joyful, loving pup.
That was in July. In August, his leaking saliva glands presented
a new problem. He had injured them a few months earlier, but
we'd been told to wait and see if the swelling would level
off. But the swelling increased to the point where he was snortling
and wheezing constantly, and beginning to choke on his food
at times. The speciality clinic admitted him on an emergency
basis, and though the vet said she did not want to perform
surgery on this 16.5 year old pup, with Cushings and a recent
history of severe pancreatitis, this was urgent and she said
there was no choice. So once again, our brave little boy went
into surgery. He was an amazingly strong little guy, and came
through the surgery and recovery with no problems.
Unfortunately, Paddington began exhibiting
some signs of urinary problems, straining to pee, and appearing
constipated. On Thursday, September 28, 2006, he was diagnosed
with Hemangiosarcoma. The pathologist said that the growth
at his prostate gland, detected by ultrasound and thought to
be a cancer of the prostate, was actually one of the blood
filled growths coming off of his blood vessels, a symptom of
the Hemangiosarcoma. It was pressing on his colon and urinary
tract, disrupting these bodilly functions. With our vet's explanation
of his very limited options for treating our baby boy, and
the fact that his cancer had probably already metastized, and
that he would die of this horrible disease, we made the painful
decision to let Paddington pass on to his next stage, with
the dignity and respect that he deserved. On Saturday, September
30, 2006, my husband's birthday, we took our little Paddington
to the doctor for his last visit. Paddington enjoyed a beautiful
day, complete with love, food, a morning walk, a car ride,
and a meal of MacDonald's hamburger at the vet's office, while
he lay on a big comfy quilt on the floor with Stephen and I
by his side, kissing him every second, touching him and thanking
him for being such a fantastic friend to us, for giving us
so much of his love all these years. He was our special baby
boy dog, so loved. Less than 24 hours after he passed, we were
given the most wonderful, unexpected gift from Paddington,
a sign from him reassuring us that he is alright, that he knows
he's in our hearts, that we did the right thing for him. His
bark, one that woke both my husband and I from our sleep at
the same time, coming from inside our house in the early pre-dawn
hours. We know that we will one day hold our little guy again.
Paddington, we miss you and love you very
much, and Gizelle misses you too. We know you will be there
to play with and love Gizelle when she joins you. Be good until
we meet again.
— Annette & Stephen Ross
GUSTO
March 10, 1995 - September 12, 2006
This is Gusto. He was born March 10, 1995.
My baby boy, Gusto, lost his battle with cancer September 12,
2006. He was 11 years, 6 months and 2 days old. He was very
strong and fought until the end. He made me proud everyday. He
lost his leg to cancer on May 12, 2006 after being diagnosed
with Liposarcoma in January 2006. He learned to get around
quickly on that one front leg and enjoyed steak, hamburgers,
tennis balls, bones and rides. He got to go to the lake and
had many visitors. It wasn’t until Saturday the 9th of
September that he couldn’t get up on his own anymore. He was
tired and weak due to the tumor pressing on his heart. He
died with pride and dignity peacefully in the back of my Jeep
with the sun shining down and not a cloud in the sky and I
was right beside him when he left this world and took his last
breath. I will miss him so very much and will always have
him in my heart. I am very lucky to have had such a wonderful,
loyal companion in my life and very fortunate to still have
his brother Toby. I couldn’t have asked for a better dog. He
was such a good boy. I hope everyone is as lucky as I was,
to find such a wonderful soul full of unconditional love.
Sincerely,
Karmen Young, Toby, and Gus (in spirit)
KAIYA
Kaiya was a 9 1/2 year old German Shepherd
from Colorado with Stage IVb Lymphoma. She had a history of
lymphedema in both hind limbs. In the last meeting the CCA
board voted for sponsorship to help with Kaiya's chemotherapy.
We are sorry to report that the cancer was more advanced than
originally thought and Kaiya passed away the week of September
17, 2006.
ARLO
February 14, 1994 - September 11, 2006
His name was Arlo. He was born on Valentine's
Day. Only a dog born on such a day, could show and want as
much love as he did. Although he weighed about 90 lbs., he
thought he was still a puppy and a lap-dog. His overwhelming
affection was felt by all who met him, and he was truely loved
everyday. He came into our home at just 8 weeks old, unwanted
by a pet store that could not sell him, because of a heart
ailment. That was 12 1/2 years ago, and today we said our final
goodbyes to a loving and loyal friend.
Some people would say he was just a dog, or
a family pet. Those people never met my Ar-buddy or gave him
the chance to prove to them "HE WAS NOT JUST A DOG." When we
were gone he would patiently wait near the door. If one of
us was working late at night, he would wait downstairs until
he knew we were home safe. That was just who he was. The great
protector of us all, except for his total fear of ducks and
kittens.
We woke up on Sept. 11, 2006, like much of
the country, not looking forward to what this day meant. We
had no idea that on this day, we would be saying good-bye to
our beloved Arlo. He seemed to be just fine until this morning.
Happy and playful, with his usual silly grin all the time.
But this morning, he just couldn't make it down the steps,
and slid most of the way on his belly. We took him to the emergency
vet, where we were told he had a tumor on his spleen. The vet
said that although she could treat him, it would only delay
things a very short time. We watched as she gave him the injections,
and held him while he went to sleep, his pain and suffering
were over. He never wimpered, cryed, or let out a yelp of pain.
He was brave until the very end when he died in our arms.
We will never forget you, and you will always
be in our hearts and minds.
— love, mom, dad, and coco
SHIFTER
April 15, 1995 - August 28, 2006
This is my best friend Shifter. She was a
smart and loving dog. Shifter was very energetic and touched
the lives of everyone around her. Shifter was 11 years old
when she passed away from Hemangiosarcoma. We did not even
know she had it. Shifter was always up and running around and
always wanting to play and go for walks up until the day she
became sick, which was 3 days before she passed away.
She had two masses on her spleen and one ruptured,
this caused her belly to swell, this was the only warning sign
that we got that she was sick. We rushed her to the vet and
she got an emergency splenectomy and recovered fine from the
surgery. But then a day after it she had trouble breathing,
she started to recover from that and the day we thought we
were going to take her home we found out that she had passed
away early in the morning. They hadn't got her biopsy back
yet so they didn't know if it was cancer or not. Once they
got it back we learned that she had Hemangiosarcoma.
Shifter was an amazing dog, Shifter will be
greatly missed by everyone. Shifter was born on April 15th,
1995 and died on August 28th, 2006.
— Danielle, Lisa, Mike, Travis, and Avery
CHLOE
April 22, 1998 - August 27, 2006
Chloe was a wonderful Golden who battled cancer
successfully at the young age of 3 by a relatively new technique
of Cryogenic Surgery and Amino Therapy Injections. She was
always happy with a constant smile on her face, despite missing
most of her teeth on one side of her mouth due to her tumor.
Sadly, this past week, it was discovered that
she had a splenic mass the size of a grapefruit and we elected
to go forward with a splenectomy (removal of her spleen). During
surgery, our vet discovered multiple tumors and we are now
waiting for the biopsy results which we feel will likely be
malignant. Even with outstanding care, Chloe could not battle
anymore and she passed peacefully in her sleep early Sunday
(8/27) morning. I would like to thank Dr. Fred Baff at Plumtrees
Animal Hospital in Danbury , CT for 8 years of outstanding
care and love for Chloe. He made the unpleasantness of going
in for visits and surgery comfortable and kept Chloe at ease
(and us too).
Please visit Chloe’s online memorial at http://misschloe.critters.com.
— Jon Greenfield
PEPPY
This is my sweet Peppy. We found out June8th
he had lung cancer and we had no idea! He passed on July 1,
2006! And my heart died that day when he did!
— Sheila
CALLA WILSON
My husband and I adopted 2 puppies (littermates)
from a shelter on October 19, 2004. It was one of the greatest
things we’ve ever done and it changed our lives forever. Calla
was female, brownish/reddish and Coda was male, all black with
a white spot on his chest, both 2-month old lab mix puppies.
From the moment we adopted them, they became the center of
our lives. We had no intentions of adopting more than one dog
and we had our hearts set on Calla the minute we saw her at
the shelter but we picked up both Calla and Coda at the same
time and knew that we had to have them both. Their puppyhood
was so much fun – they were so curious and playful and learned
everything so quickly. When they were about 5-6 months old,
we moved from our apartment to a house with a HUGE yard (partly
cleared, and partly woods – all fenced) which was great for
them to play in, especially since they were growing incredibly
fast! Calla topped out at 55lbs, Coda at 73lbs.
As much as I loved them as puppies, I loved
them even more as adults, their true personalities came out
and they were as wonderful as they were different. Calla was
definitely the alpha (after Davis and myself of course) and
Coda happily accepted his beta role. I never got bored of watching
them chase each other and wrestle all over the yard – they
were hilarious! Our weekends were often spent at the dog park
or hiking or taking them with us to restaurants and to visit
family. They went everywhere with us – we were the greatest
family of 4! Coda was definitely a dog’s dog. He loved being
outside playing with Calla, lying in the sun, chasing balls
and sticks (chasing, mind you, not retrieving!) He’s not the
most affectionate dog but he does love being scratched on his
butt and he’s up for a walk and an adventure anytime! Calla,
however, was a people dog. She loved people! She was an attention
hog, and we loved to give it to her. She LOVED belly rubs and
the sight of her rolling onto her back anytime I came near
always warmed my heart and made me smile. Not that she didn’t
love to be touched anywhere else - she loved to be pet everywhere,
her face and temples being another favorite. She was also a
licker! She licked, and licked and licked, she was obsessive
about it, especially our faces, and we LOVED her kisses! She
also loved to hike and even enjoyed the ride there – she always
had an extreme look of pleasure on her face as it hung out
of the car window, the air rushing past her, her ears flapping
in the wind.
On Saturday, May 27, 2006 (after several weeks
of tests and medicines when Calla stopped eating and starting
drastically losing weight) she was diagnosed with cancer. We
were shocked, as were the vets telling us the news – they agreed
that it was very unusual for a dog so young (1 year 9 months
old) to get cancer. And worse still, it was very far progressed.
She had a large mass near her heart that was lymphoma, and
it had spread to her liver, her liver cells were almost completely
depleted. She also had fluid in her abdomen. They said she
was a stage 4, but possibly a stage 5 – they would have had
to do more tests to find out for sure and since it was Memorial
Day weekend, they didn’t have the specialist there to do it.
They said that she wasn’t in pain but she was uncomfortable,
mostly because the mass was pushing her organs together and
against her stomach and because her liver wasn’t working properly.
They said she had probably had the cancer mass for awhile but
didn’t have any symptoms until it attacked her liver. They
explained to us that chemo wouldn’t cure her but that with
dogs, it simply puts them in remission for 6-18 months. They
were honest with us however and told us that they really didn’t
think it would help Calla much. They said the chemo may or
may not make her sick and she probably wouldn’t go into remission
because she was already so sick and her liver was in failure.
They said that without any treatment, she would probably only
live a few days, weeks at best, and treatment might only extend
her life a little, if any, and they weren’t certain what the
quality of life would be, but probably not good. We talked
to them for awhile, discussing options, crying, trying to decide
what was best for Calla.
We decided to take her home right then and
enjoy the rest of the day with her, and have a great Sunday
with her and then have her put to sleep Monday morning. So,
that’s what we did. The doctors gave us some prednisone to
help with her discomfort – it really did help! We got home
Sat. afternoon and after Calla rested we went to a park with
a lake that we’d never been to before – she loved it! The medicine
really perked her up (it was so hard to see her acting so normal
knowing that we were going to put her to sleep, but I’m still
really glad she was able to feel better during her last days.)
She chased after ducks and geese and enjoyed exploring with
Coda, Davis and I. Since she had showed no interest in her
dog food for some time, we decided to feed her yummy human
food (we never feed our dogs human food so it was quite the
treat!) We cooked her up some scrambled eggs and gave her all
of her favorite treats. On Sunday, we went to 4 different parks
throughout the day – she really seemed to be happiest when
we were outside walking around! At home we would hang out on
our deck in the backyard giving her belly rubs. While she took
naps inside, Davis and I tried to watch movies and occupy ourselves,
but mostly we sat with her, pet her and cried. We had fun cooking
up yummy meals for her. It turned out that her favorite human
foods were cooked ground beef and chicken with bits of cheese
and chicken broth. The medicine stimulated her appetite as
well and she gobbled up everything we gave her with glee! The
rest of our time together was perfect! We took lots of pictures
and video. We gave her lots of belly rubs, and hugs and kisses.
I could have sat there with her forever.
Monday, May 29, 2006 at 9am, Davis, Coda and
I crowded around her at the vet and said our goodbyes. We were
with her as she went to sleep, petting her, loving her and
whispering I love yous, good girls, and sweet sweet Callas
in her ear. We picked out the perfect urn for her so she can
go with us wherever we go. It’s a red wood box (she’s our red
dog) called the “purple heart.” She earned a purple heart in
love and sweetness, and how appropriate, being Memorial Day.
Davis and Coda and I are so lucky that we
have had Calla in our lives. We miss her more and more each
day, it has been very hard without her. We have set up a little
memorial for her in our home with her urn, a scrapbook, shadowboxes
with her collar, favorite toys, etc, and lots of pictures.
She was the sweetest, most loving dog I have ever met and I
will always have a picture of her in my head of her rolling
on her back for a belly rub, sticking her head out of the car
while going on fun trips, and slobbering our faces with wet
kisses.
COCOA
December 5, 1995 - July 13, 2006
Cocoa was diagnosed with lymphoma on 3/24/06.
We started the Madison Wisconsin Protocol right away, visited
the holistic vet you name it. Her battle was short lived for
such a strong doggy. My heart is broken and I cannot get this
tragedy out of my mind. I call her name and speak to her out
loud…but only silence now. Everything I do reminds me
of her…even opening the front door…but nothing now.
I'm so lost; my husband Jeff too. We are broken. Her liver
inevitably failed which brought us to the end where our only
choice was to euthanize her. At that time she was full of medicine
to keep her comfortable for a short period of time. We questioned
if we were making the right decision. She seems kind of ok?
But the vet assured us that she is on so much medicine to keep
her comfortable for a day or so and its best we say goodbye
now so that she leaves us that way. We would make the wrong
decision if we waited any longer only to see her in pain. It
was agonizing to let her go…she did go painlessly and
now she is free of this horrible disease. I hate you cancer!
Cocoa we will never forget you,
— love mommy and daddy, your fellow
pals, Pumpkin(who really misses you), Nellie and Brownie!
HERBIE
I came across your site tonight while looking
for information on Hemangiosarcoma. The information I found
has helped me deal with the loss of Herbie to this dreadful,
silent killer last Friday evening, 20 July 2006.
I enclose a picture of my very best friend
for just 6 short years. Herbie was never diagnosed with cancer
it just took him away from me within half an hour of him collapsing
at my feet doing what he loved best in life - walking out with
me. He came into my (and my family's) life from BARKK a dog
rescue society in Scotland, in 2000. He is a bit special -
a tri-colour Border Collie with only 3 legs. I call him my
tri-colour tripod. He lost his leg in an accident on the farm
where he was born and trained as a working dog. I was so proud
of him: He never needed a lead, whether he was in field
full of farm animals, a shopping mall or just walking the streets
- he was never more than 5 feet away from my side, ever unless
he was playing. He loved everyone and never held a grudge.
My best memories of him are watching him swim round in circles
the first time he went swimming in the sea, until he learnt
to steer with only one hind leg, Watching his rear end collapse
as he wagged his tale furiously in joy whenever I came home.
His wolf-like look on his face as he waited for me to kick
a stone for his favourite game of chase the stone. And his
incredibly silky fur on his head and neck.
Oh how I miss him. We were the best of friends.
— Colin
MUNCHIE
A Wirehair Miniature Dachshund to prostate
cancer at 12 years, 2 months.
DAVE
This is Dave. He died this year of cancer.
He was 12 years old. He was a great animal.
COCO
Sending much love to you from Benny, Allie,
Maddie, Brian and Me
Coco, a well built and beautiful Dalmatian,
made herself known to us a couple of months after we rescued
Benny, a chow mix with the sweetest and deepest brown eyes
ever imaginable, and tons of fur. The strapping young gentleman
that he is, was spotted by Coco from a far, she would run at
full speed to catch up to us and began following us one day
on our walk. Then the next day, then the next day, then the
next day…
Eventually, she quit following us altogether,
and began showing up at the house early in the morning every
day (she was so cute though, she would either peer through
our screen door, if the real door was open or she would put
her front paws on the living room windowsill and look in from
outside while standing on her hind legs, with the sweetest
of faces, and perked up ears) - we would put her in the back
yard with Benny, they would lay side by side, she would lick
his nose a few times, and they would frolic a tiny bit, she
was never very playful. Mostly they would lay in the yard and
soak up the rays of the sun together. We would call her family
to retrieve her just before the night would fall, she actually
lived just around the corner from us. One evening, the little
girl who loved Coco with all her heart and lived in the house
just around the corner, jumped out of her parents car and came
running to the door to pick up Coco. When I answered the door
to let her in she immediately erupted into tears. When I asked
what was wrong, she looked at me with the saddest blue eyes
and tears streaming down her cheeks. "Mommy and Daddy are going
to put Coco down if she runs away one more time." (Over my
dead body I though to myself) When I asked her why, she said
they never really wanted her, they kept her for me. She looked
back up at me and asked if I would take care of Coco should
she run away again. There was only one answer…YES!
Well, the very next morning - she ran away
again! I wasn't certain this really meant that we were her
new parents until we were taking the 'kids' for their daily
walk and on the other side of the neighborhood, a woman steps
out of her house and asks us if that was Coco. When we said
yes, she said, they told us that you guys had adopted her,
and how wonderful we were for doing that. I think we were set
up, but that is perfectly alright because Coco needed us more
than we could have ever known.
The previous family had absolutely no records
on Coco because she was a stray pup to them, but could tell
us she was about 2 or 3 years. We took her to the vet for a
check up, just when I thought all was well, the vet called
me to let me know Coco was ready to come home, but…she
had a big problem. She was infested with heart worms. MY HEART
sank to my toes. By this time she was already under our skin,
she was an absolute love, just looking for a good home, comfort
and warmth, a little food and a lot of love. I asked him what
we needed to do, he said she is so bad right now, we can take
a chance and do an ARSENIC treatment that would take several
days and a long stay at the hospital. After discussing the
situation with my husband Brian, we decided to do what was
best for her and go ahead with the treatment. The vet said
that this was a 50/50 shot, it would either kill all the worms
or it would just make a tiny dent and we would have to move
on from there. Well…the 50/50 shot turned out to be in
our favor. She pulled through and was worm free, but would
be weak, for the worms had created a grade 2 heart murmur.
Happiness with a mostly healthy Coco resumed and continued
for about a year, then suddenly she was unable to control her
bladder, again we took her to the vet and he did tests and
more tests, we discovered that she was very much diabetic.
We wound up having to give her 2 shots a day of insulin, so
we made it into a game and she loved the attention. Just another
minor set back, our walks and sessions of love would continue.
Sometime down the road after this she began to sneeze very
hard, and then started doing reverse sneezing, then suddenly
she had a runny nose, then it turned bloody and then bloodier
and then bloodier - what could possibly be going on now?
After many visits to the vet and him trying
to diagnose the problem as allergies, dry nasal passages and
then sinuses and then having all the nasal swabs coming back
negative for anything 'bad' - we wound up taking our fateful
trip to Auburn Veterinary school in southern Alabama, a 2 hour
drive from Birmingham. Where I had to leave her for an entire
week. I cry when I have to board my dogs for a couple of days
due to traveling, it nearly tore my heart out to leave her
down in Auburn for an entire week. In our short 3 years together
we had created a bond so tight that nothing could tear us apart,
she was my shadow my heartbeat and my life. I probably shouldn't
say this, but my husband was jealous of her. I was never alone
even if I was…she was always by my side! Well…5 days
after we left her, Auburn called and she was ready to come
home. She had an aggressive Nasal Tumor, very little is known
about these types of tumors and they are not very treatable.
My heart broke into a million tiny pieces, I cried all the
way down to Auburn. Her prognosis was 3 months, I cried all
the way back to Birmingham sitting in the back seat with her.
Finally I pulled myself together, discussed options with the
vet school and my vet. Brian, Benny and I wound up traveling
down to Auburn every Thursday night for 5 straight weeks, to
drop Coco off for a Friday morning radiation treatment, which
all 3 of us would then go down on Saturday morning bright and
early to pick her up. She was a brave girl…the first treatment
all was well, from the second treatment on she got a little
weaker and took a little longer to recover. Sometimes she wouldn't
eat at all. I worried myself (and all those around me) to death.
Finally 5 weeks was over. No promises or guarantees had been
made.
Her diagnosis was made at the end of February,
her radiation began in early March. Life didn't change at all
as Coco knew it. She still had her daily walks, the love of
Benny and my undying love for her. She couldn't stay out in
the sun much because the radiation had burned the hair on her
nose and it was never going to grow back, which left her nose
vulnerable to sunburn. We would just put sunscreen on it before
we would go outside for any length of time. She did really
really well for about 4 months, then suddenly she began to
lose her eyesight and within a week was completely blind. Unexplainably.
Then one week after that her kidneys began to fail and on 5:00pm
Sunday 31 June 2002 we rushed her to the clinic where our vet
left his family dinner to help us with her, a favor I will
never forget. She had yet again a 50/50 shot, he began pumping
her with fluids, she was in very serious condition. He insisted
that we take her to the hospital for constant observation in
their ICU, which we did, again against my better judgment I
left her alone in a cold sterile environment . . . . . . 6:15am
Monday 1 July 2002 the hospital called. I knew before the phone
was answered exactly what the call was. . . . . my baby, my
daughter, my heart and soul had passed away at 6:10am . . .
. she just stopped breathing, her heart had stopped. I screamed
and fell onto the bed beside my husband, who for the first
time cried with me. The hardest thing I have ever had to do
was to pick up my "daughter" from the hospital morgue take
her to Dr. Frittle, a familiar environment, and to send her
on her way to the rainbow bridge. This was not how or when
I hoped for this day to happen. She was supposed to be at home
with me on her bed. Not in a cold sterile hospital environment.
I miss her terribly to this very day! There
are constant reminders of her everywhere. I kept waiting for
a sign from her that she was OK and that I was going to be
OK. I could never find one. Friday 1 August 2002 One month
to the day, the sign came in the form of a young pup (1 yr
old) whom had found her way to my neighbors house, and did
not leave their back deck for the entire day. They do not have
a fenced in yard as I do, she could have left just as easily
as she had entered. My neighbor came to me and asked me to
get the dog out of her yard, I grabbed a bag of treats and
went over to her house to help the best I could. There she
was, the most beautiful dog I had ever seen, her fur was so
shiny like glass in the sunlight and the sweetest face that
I had seen since . . . . Coco. "Oh my gosh, No I said to myself,
I don't want another dog. Benny is all I need, he is still
recovering." I bring the pup, a Doberman/lab mix to my house.
Benny likes her and lets her in the house. She likes Benny.
After much searching and waiting another month goes by, nobody
has contacted us regarding her despite our visits to numerous
area vets and ads in the paper. Could it be????? Coco led her
to me! Exactly one month later? She has the same face, the
same mannerisms, the same huge heart and oh brother, I have
another shadow. Gulp, it is time to brace myself!!!!! 4 months
later my gift is still here with me, a bundle of energy, a
love in every sense of the word and once again my own shadow
has a tail attached, although it is a bobbed tail. Her name
is Luca!
Thank you Coco - I love you and still miss
you terribly.
SNOW
(Ricky’s Snowcap Prince)
September 28, 1993 – May 25, 2002
Snow was the most incredible being. He possessed
all the qualities many people, in their entire lifetime, would
want to have. He was extremely intelligent, handsome, loving,
witty, clever, charming, loyal, noble, regal, and forgiving.
Shortly after acquiring Snow, I looked up “White
German Shepherd” on the Internet. I read that they have a great
sense of humor. If he wanted to distract you from what you
were doing to play with him and his tennis ball, he’d carefully
and quietly plan his strategy. At the appropriate moment, he’d
implement his plan. Then he’d execute the plan. With his plan,
his statement was made and we all had a good time. He really
got a charge out of our reactions, which were genuine and he
initiated and he knew what he was doing. He was always thinking.
Snow came to me on New Year’s Eve 1997. He
made the long air travel from Florida to Connecticut. He was
4 & ½ years old and had two prior owners. The first
owner was terminally ill and the second one wanted nothing
to do with him, as he was not an animal person. Being a friend
of my brother and my brother knowing that I would give this
boy a great home, the opportunity came for Snow to join me
and my dog Shelley. We needed him and he needed us. We became
a family of three.
Snow was very nervous in Florida and when
he first came to us. He had so much to offer but was unloved
and yelled at all the time at his previous home. Over the course
of a few months at time, he was more relaxed and truly happy.
His wit and personality started to come out. People at work
and on the bus for my commute, people loved to hear “Snow”
stories. One of my favorites is when Snow heard me turn on
the hair dryer; he’d always come into the bathroom and bring
his tennis ball. While drying my hair, I’d roll the ball to
him with my foot and he’d roll it back. When he had enough,
he’d leave the ball and then go into another room and lie down.
One day, I thought that was what he did. When I got on the
bus and settled in, I reached into my tote bag to get the book
I was reading. To my surprise Snow’s soggy tennis ball, with
the fuzzy cover partially peeled off, was in the tote bag.
The one we had been playing with. I laughed and had to share
the story with my fellow dog-loving passengers.
In 1999, Snow was diagnosed with IDD (Intervertebral
Disk Disease). Not being a candidate for back surgery, it took
weeks and weeks of rest to reduce the swelling of the bulging
disk. Six months earlier, Ron, my future husband, came into
our lives.
In 2000, he broke his two lower canine teeth,
which required root canals and shiny new titanium crowns.
In 2001, on the day after Thanksgiving and
seven weeks after Ron’s and my wedding, Snow was diagnosed
with osteosarcoma. Given the options of amputation or euthanasia,
we chose amputation and chemotherapy. Having one leg in the
rear did not cause a reoccurrence of the IDD. He did very well
with the chemo and got along on well on 3 legs as he did with
4.
Snow got a 6 month and 1 day extension of quantity
and quality of his life from the date of diagnosis. The cancer
had spread to his lungs and his health declined within 48 hours.
Snow taught me so, so much including bravery
and perseverance:
- When faced with an unfamiliar situation, try not to sweat
it. It's usually not as bad as anticipated (my worry over
the uncertainty/his numerous trips to the vets and hospital).
- Although we were not treated well by some people in our
lives, there are wonderful people out there (my prior bad
relationships/his 2 prior homes)
- Don't be too rigid with schedules. If playtime is needed
before going to work, have some fun. (his initiating playing
with his tennis ball with my while I dried my hair).
- Never say, "I can't". (his perseverance with 2 diseases
and rear leg amputation).
Snow, you are always in my heart and in my
mind.
Thank you for being you I love you with all
my heart.
— Laura
JOLEY
BUFFY SAMANTHA
(Sami)
November 25, 1999
"My Morning Glory" Though I. Know Your Sweet
Presence is Missing from My Side, Today, Christmas Morning,
December 25th, 1999. I Pray that You, My Samantha are Celebrating
with Your Lord, on this, His Day of Days. Cradled in His Loving
Arms and in His Protection. Happy and Vital of Spirit, Free
of all Pain and at Peace, this Day. I will and Do Love You,
Always. I Deeply and Sadly Do and Will Miss You, Forever, Until
We are Joined Together Again, "At the End of My Days, For All
Time. This Day I continue to Mourn Your Tragic Loss and Hope
to, Always Hold Your Memory Fully, in My Heart and Soul. I
do not Celebrate, but Reflect, Instead. I Surround Myself with
Your Belongings and Drawl Ever so Dearly and More Closely,
to Your Memory "within" Our Home and the Unconditional, Wonderful
Love Extremely Happy and Life We Shared. I Pray, Daily that "God" willing,
In time We are "Soon, Joyfully Together. Until We Do, You are
Our Lord's "Little Pretty Eyed Girl" and will Remain, My Heart.
I ask That Prayers be Offered Where Able for Your Tiny Soul.
Your Precious Life, was Taken, Oh So Gently, Suddenly, on Thanksgiving
Morning, In the Cool of The Morning Rain, with the Loving aide,
of Your Dear, Dr. Sleeper, While Held Cradled Lovingly and
Tragically, For the Last Time that You My Beloved Samantha
Would Drawl an Earthly Breath. You Were by My Side and Cared
ever so, Deeply for, for 14 years Your Birthday, Yet To Reach,
This Coming May 2000. A Happy and Loving, Gentle Little Girl,
in Life Sami, You were a Buff Colored, Silvered Tipped Eared,
Long Wavy-haired "12 inch High and 16 Inch Long" Pretty Eyed
Child and I will Cherish You into Eternity. Merry Christmas
My Little Baby, MY Sami. You Are My World. My Love is with
You, Now and Always. Your Daddy in Life and Someday, Again
will Be, Once More, Richard Vernon Paul Hosford. Please Pray
for My Sami's Soul - For Samantha 2000
Thank you, Richard. For, Buffy Samantha. Paws,
in Service ~ You can keep a good dog ~ down Buffy Samantha. "The
nice thing about a pet [Buffy Samantha] is that she may grow
older, but she will never grow up. She will always be your
[my] baby" Dr. Alan Beck, director of the Center for Human-Animal
Bond at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University.
TDI "Animals comfort when humans cannot" "It didn't [doesn't]
matter; he [she] was [is] doing the job God created him [her]
for." "To err is human, to forgive, canine." -- Unknown ~ Viva
La Cockapoo!
DENVER
Denver’s story begins in March 1993 because
this is when we found each other. His owners operated the golf
course located in our neighborhood and they had him tied to
a tree on the golf course property. One day he reportedly “went
after” a golfer who had hit a shot which landed out of bounds
and near his doghouse. The owners of the golf course were afraid
of a lawsuit and decided to give him away. My father got wind
of the story and felt bad so he brought Denver (a lab/chow
mix, approximately 3 years old) home to bathe him and ultimately
find him a more suitable home. At the time I lived at home
with my parents before getting married for the first time.
Well, his more suitable home came right away because I fell
in love with him and since I was to be married in less than
six months, I decided to keep him. My fiancée at the time was
less than thrilled but eventually agreed. So, Denver lived
at home with me until the nuptials and then we moved into our
own home.
I think we bathed him 3 times before all of
the dirt came out of his thick, black fur and the water finally
started to run clear. For the next several months, he would
lie on the floor and look at you out of the corner of his eye,
never making eye contact. However, what more could you expect
from a dog that was used living outside in a dog house with
little or no human interaction except from individuals approaching
with sticks made of metal and driving small carts that made
noise.
As Denver grew more comfortable in his surrounding,
he eventually made eye contact and would look deep into your
eyes. It was about 6 months after we had moved into our own
home that Denver began to show signs of being ill. After countless
vet visits and my relentless quest to get to the bottom of
his waxing and waning symptoms it was determined that he suffered
from Addison’s Disease (an endocrine problem affecting the
adrenal glands). If it weren’t for Dr. Sally and her quick
reaction time, he would have died before this diagnosis was
made. As it turned out, with the proper medication and blood
tests to monitor his sodium and potassium, Denver lived a perfectly
healthy and normal life with this disease.
With the diagnosis behind us and a bright
future ahead of us, the bond that Denver and I had somehow
became stronger due to his disease. I instinctively knew when
his electrolytes were off and soon I became an expert in Addison’s
Disease. However, the financial burden of dealing with an Addisonian
dog coupled with other issues soon took a toll on my marriage
and eventually it ended in divorce. Of course, Denver remained
with me through the ordeal and together we got through it.
In the coming years we spent lots of time together and he would
go everywhere with me. His days on the golf course were a thing
of the past. He was now a pampered pup - sleeping on the sofa
or bed, having the best medical attention that money could
buy, plenty of quality food and water and lots of toys and
love.
At this point in the story many years have
gone by. I am remarried and Denver is doing great. He won the
heart of my second husband and they shared a close bond. He
is now 12 ½ years old with the energy and spunk of a dog
half his age. One day in late July 2002, I noticed that he
wasn’t himself and figured that his medicine needed an adjustment.
So, off to the vet we went for a blood test and quick exam.
Dr. Sally’s exam revealed that his spleen was enlarged and
he had x-rays and an ultrasound done right away. Test results
showed that he had a mass on his spleen which needed to be
removed right away as it could have ruptured at any time. Surgery
was immediately scheduled for August 2, 2002 and he came through
with flying colors. Unfortunately, the diagnosis was poor:
hemangiosarcoma. We were told that dogs with this type of cancer
usually only survive 3 to 4 months but that chemo could possibly
extend his life to 7 or 8 months. There was only one drug that
she felt comfortable using to combat this aggressive type of
cancer and he could only have it a few times due to its toxicity.
I was devastated, as most of us are whose beloved animals are
diagnosed with cancer. We opted for chemo but it made him very
ill and he was hospitalized for 3 days recovering from a high
fever and very low white cell count. Although the oncologist
wanted to try another chemo treatment, there was no way that
I was going to put him through that type of possible reaction
again. Instead, we opted for holistic support and dietary changes.
Three months after the initial surgery, another
tumor had showed up next to his liver. At this point we took
a three hour car ride (one way) to Washington, DC to be enrolled
into the anti-angiogenic trials that were being conducted there.
This trial was our last hope.
We were accepted into the trials and all went
well for the next week and a half.
Unfortunately, this story has an ending and
it is a very sad one. After a courageous battle with cancer,
Denver passed away in my arms on November 15, 2002. I am thankful
that I did not have to make that heart wrenching decision that
we all dread. Denver passed away at home with my husband and
I and we believe that it was quick and painless.
I still miss him and think about him everyday.
We had a bond that some people may not be able to relate to
unless they have shared their life with a special dog like
Denver. He was a wonderful companion and enriched my life beyond
words. He was brave and courageous in his fight and he will
live in my memory forever.
LACEY
Lacey was born 7/23/93 and at the age of 6
months was diagnosed with degenerative bone disease. I lived
near Ithaca, NY at the time and took her to Cornell who performed
a triple pelvic osteotomy (removing her leg, restructuring
the joint socket and reattached the leg) and she also had another
surgery to remove part of the bone in both her front elbows.
None of the surgeries were successful and the breeder I purchased
her from said she would give me another dog and take Lacey
back. That was not acceptable to me as Lacey had already stolen
my heart. She is an amazing dog who has been through so much.
We have a saying "Everybody loves Lacey" because
everyone who has met her has fallen in love with her. Last
May (2002) we almost lost Lacey. One day she let out a huge
yelp and didn't get up again. We spent 2 weeks going to specialists
who basically told us there was nothing they could do and we
should consider euthanizing her. We found a remarkable veterinarian
who also practiced acupuncture and decided to try him. Euthanizing
her was not acceptable...there is so much life in her. Weeks
of tests and us hand feeding her fried rice and chicken, carrying
her on her bed everywhere and I made a harness so we could
take her outside to go to the bathroom....and he finally found
that she had septic joints and Pseuodonomas Aurgeinomis (not
sure of the correct spelling) and we put her on 5 weeks of
Cipro. We also put Lacey on a diet as she was overweight. She
lost 28 lbs and continued to improve and today you would never
know that we almost lost her a year ago.
We found a stray cat 7 years ago and nursed
her back to health...Jenni cleans Lacey all the time and Lacey
protects Jenni from our younger cocker spaniel Paige. I've
included a pic of all of them. Everyone says Paige is the cocker
who thinks she is a lab.
Lacey is a smart dog, but is very stubborn
at times and we let her be because she has been through so
much. She wakes us up every morning at 6 am because she knows
it is time to eat and at 4:30 she lets us know it's getting
close but she will patiently wait until 6 and then she starts "talking" to
us.
Lacey loves playing with her ball and frisbee
and if you say get the ball...she gets the ball and if you
say get the frisbee...here she comes with her frisbee. I named
her Lacey Rae Lynn as her registered name. Lacey because I
love lace, Rae was my father's name and Lynn is my middle name
and it was a way to keep my father and I together after he
passed away.
MAGGIE MAE
September 24, 2000 - April 28, 2003
I would like you to meet two very special babies.
In the fore ground is My Buddy, he was born September 26, 1999.
Behind him is my "Fur Angel" Maggie Mae. I'm sending you this
picture with both dogs because they never spent a day apart
and I thought it only fitting that they stayed together. We
lost her to Lymphoma.
Thank you for all of your support. It has brought a smile and
a tear to my eyes.
Kellie Chapman
Charlotte, NC
BANDIT BEYER, TD, CGC
Bandit was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma tumor
to her right front leg in April of 2001. We made the heart-wrenching
decision to have the limb amputated in an attempt to save her
life. She sailed through the surgery and the recovery with
no problem at all.
We then took her to the University of Florida
at Gainesville for carboplatin/doxyrubicin chemotherapy treatment.
Again, she tolerated her chemo with no problems.
At her checkup in August of 2002 (one year
after completing chemo) she was diagnosed with a Grade II mast
cell tumor in her left rear leg. Again, she underwent a radical
surgery to attempt to remove the tumor. However, due to the
location, they were unable to completely excise the tumor.
She then traveled to Florida Veterinary Specialists in Tampa,
where she stayed for 3 weeks while she underwent daily radiation
to the tumor site. And, again, she handled all this as though
it was just yet another adventure in her most exciting life.
In February of 2003, at her regular vet checkup,
our local vet found a melanoma on her belly, which he surgically
excised completely.
She continued to survive and thrive with her
spirit and personality intact, almost six years from her initial
diagnosis. Unfortunately, at the beginning of 2007, she was
diagnosed with a very rare and very malignant new cancer, which
took her from us very quickly. She left us on 1/12/07. She
was 12-1/2 years old. We are grateful that she was able to
live a normal life, and enjoy all her normal activities, including
swimming and hiking, right up until her last day.
NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER GIVE IN.
NO REGRETS.
— Curt & Liz Beyer
we miss you Bandit
STORMY & MICKI-SU
Hi,
Please post these on your Faces of Courage
page- the white poodle is Micki-Su who was diagnosed on Sept
12, 2002 with Lymphosarcoma, and is currently in her second
remission. She is four years old...
The black Lab is Stormy, who lost the battle
to hemangiosarcoma on July 1, 2001 and now resides in Heaven.
They are both very much loved, always.
Thanks,
Paula Hart
It is with deep regret to inform
you that Micki-Su gained her angel wings October 4, 2003.
OMEGA
I just lost my beloved Omega to cancer yesterday.
(8/4/2003)
She would've been 6 years young this coming
December!
I would truly appreciate her picture being
posted on your site, and I will forward a paragraph or two
once I am able to stop crying.
Thank you!
Rachel Wolf
SAMMY
Born: February 13, 1994
Died: July 1, 2003
Sammy lived his entire life with joy and love
and wonder. He taught me many lessons about living and loving.
On Friday June 28, 2003 he went lame in the
rear - the DVM couldn't figure out why so we took him to specialty
ICU clinic 1 hour away where he spent the weekend until he
could see a neurologist. X-rays, blood work, no one could figure
out what was wrong.
An MRI on July 1st found a massive tumor growing
inside Sammy that had grown so big it wrapped around his aorta
and spine. We had to say goodbye to Sammy that day.
I told him to unfurl his angel wings and fly
above the stars and on his way to pick a star and we would
share it forever. I loved him a million miles to the moon and
back, In a million ways at a million times - and I still do.
I love him for always and forever.
Sammy had a checkup on May 1, 2003 - blood
work and the whole she-bang - he was pronounced healthy. He
died July 1 - cancer doesn't play fair.
— Kate Bland
MOOSE
Moose was taken into my home on July 3, 1998.
He stole my heart as I walked through Table Mountain Shelter
in Golden, CO. They told me he was 5 years old and a stray
that no one claimed. I couldn't imagine anyone not claiming
this docile, sweet lovable dog. The vet laughed when I took
him in and said he was 8 years old, at least. I didn't care
- he was so precious. He was a somewhat rotund dog - so I called
him Moose. I put him on a diet and exercise and he lost a fair
amount of weight. However, the name "Moose" just seemed to
fit. I soon found out he not only had severe allergies but
an affinity for food of any kind. His first bought of pancreatitus
was within 2 months of getting him. He was hospitalized for
a few days and almost died. He remained on a low fat diet.
He had at least 4 more episodes of pancreatitus over the next
4 years and pretty much ate what wasn't nailed down. Wild mushrooms
and some weird plant once while walking through the forest,
a container of cooking oil, the Thanksgiving turkey - all led
to a stay in the hospital and a near death episode. He was
the dog of many lives. He fought pancreatitis, thyroid and
allergies daily. Yet, he was the happiest, energetic loving
dog. He lived each day as if it were the most precious gift.
Each day with him was a gift to me.
He was full of fire and energy when I got him
- but each episode took some life from him. About 2 years ago
he started limping in his front leg. First one, then both.
He hobbled around, but never let it affect his marvelous energy,
attitude and outpouring of love. In May 2003, the vet suspected
perhaps tumors in his cervical spine area as all four limbs
were affected. We had decided to let him pass with dignity
and without more pain - he could not walk down one step, let
alone a flight of stairs. He was unable to move without pain.
We planned the day for Monday. To get him through the weekend,
his vet gave him mega doses of prednisone. By Monday, he was
running up and down the stairs. He wasn't ready to go - he
had some living to do. So I happily canceled the appointment
and enjoyed the miracle he was. I knew he was on borrowed time.
He had such a quest for life. Through the summer I would watch
him walk through my strawberry patch and eat only the sweetest
ripest berries - leaving others for the next day. I never got
a berry - he beat me to them. I didn't mind, it was Moose's
strawberry patch. It brought him joy to pick them each day.
In July, he started shaking his head a lot
and then started bleeding from his ear. After a few visits
to the vet and finally to a specialist, he was diagnosed with
hemangiosarcoma. The tumor was removed and he came home because
he had still more love to give. He was my rock and calm in
my own stormy life. He knew he couldn't leave me yet - I needed
him so. Moose began coughing quite a bit, sneezing a lot, and
struggling to breath through his nose. We suspected the tumors
in his nose since he rarely breathed through it and panted
constantly. On September 13, I woke to find him bleeding from
his nose. He tried to hide it. I placed sheets throughout my
house and spent the weekend with him. By Monday, despite his
abounding energy and passion for life, I had to let him go.
I didn't want to let him spiral down to the point of being
so miserable. Since the prognosis was one of imminent pain,
suffering and certain death - I let him go now.
He was a precious loving soul - truly an furry
angel that loved deeply. His passion for life and his capacity
for love is a lesson I am trying to learn from him. He was
a gift to me from God. He had no enemies, never showed aggression
- just a happy loving attitude to all that was lucky enough
to meet him. He was a blessing.
— Mary LaFrance
MEE-TOO PELUSO
Nicknames: "Woman"; "Chugga"; "Baby Girl" and "My Puppy"
June 14, 1995 - July 19, 2003
ShihTzu
Mee-Too was the most wonderfully incredible
and most special dog in the whole world. Its so amazing that
such a little dog could become such a huge part of our family
and our lives. Each one of us loved her so very much and she
certainly knew it. We truly believe that we are all better
people because she was such a gentle and loving part of our
lives. She truly made our family complete and she will be loved
and missed forever.
She came into our lives in such a special way.
She was a gift to our family from my sister Karen. She was
the only puppy left in the litter who didn't have a home to
go to and my sister kept begging us to take her. At first we
were reluctant because we thought we wanted a larger dog. My
husband joked that she was "not even a real dog". That was
until the day my sister decided to just show up with her at
our house. That puppy walked across our patio/deck and straight
into our hearts. She will have a special place in our hearts
always.
Mee-Too was only 7 years old when we found
out she had mast cell cancer. Unfortunately Mee-Too had been
misdiagnosed by her vet and precious time was lost in saving
her life. What we were originally told was a "cyst" was really
a very aggressive and very malignant mast cell tumor. We tried
so desperately to save her life. Mee-Too was getting chemo-therapy,
a home-cooked special diet, vitamins, green teas and all of
the love and attention possible. We tried to do everything
we could not to compromise her quality of life and to make
sure she always felt safe and loved. We would have done anything
in the world to save her if we could have. We lost our precious
Mee-Too just one month after she turned eight years old.
Our family will never get over the loss of
Mee-Too. There isn't a day that goes by when each member of
our family doesn't think about her or picture her in one of
her favorite spots. We all still stare at her pictures in disbelief.
What gets us through the really sad times is thinking about
how much love and happiness she brought into our lives.
We Will Love You and Miss You Forever,
— Mommy, Daddy, Nicole & Alicia
BULLET
Bullet is a Siberian Husky who I adopted from
my local shelter on 9/19/1002. When Bullet was just over 9
years old, on July 17, 2000, he was diagnosed with multicentric
lymphoma. He underwent VelCap-L, a very rigorous 75-week chemo
protocol, from 7/18/2000 until 3/10/2002. During the course
of chemo, Bullet experienced several terrible reactions to
the treatment -- euthanasia was discussed each time. However,
this beautiful little face of courage kept bouncing back.
Bullet, now more than 12 years old, has been
in remission from lymphoma for three years. He went into heart
failure November 2002 and again in April 2003. He's having
acupuncture treatments for his arthritic hips. In spite of
the cancer, the heart condition and the arthritis, he's the
picture of health! I'm very thankful to have him by my side
against the odds, and hope that his story offers hope to other
dog owners battling cancer.
— Laurie Kaplan (Bully's Girl)
EBONY
(Mommy's pretty babygirl)
May 9, 1995 - February 6, 2003
This is Ebony, she was a black lab/mix who
was diagnosed with Lymphoma in October, 2000 at the age of
5. She battled this terrible disease for 26 months before she
went to Rainbow Bridge on February 6, 2003. Ebony was a great
dog who loved the snow, playing with balloons and balls, she
also loved her mommy to play with the laser light on the ceiling
with her.
Ebony is and will always be missed by all that
loved her, she was mommy's pretty babygirl.
Rest in peace babygirl.
MICHAEL FRANCES FINNEGAN
This is our precious nine year old Aussie,
Michael Frances Finnegan. Yes, as you can tell by the middle
name she is a girl (with a boy's name). She was diagnosed in
September 2003 with cancer of the bladder. We took her in to
the first vet in August only to have him tell us that she couldn't
urinate because she was overweight. When we went for a second
opinion, she had an abscess on her bladder and then the vet
found the strange looking growths inside. We took her to an
oncologist in Portland (three hours away) and were told that
the best hope was a month's treatment. We couldn't be away
from her for that long, so we came back to our vet and he started
her on peroxicam. Then he told us we could start an 'easy'
chemo drug...cytosar.
We thought she had made progress, but she has
not. About two weeks ago she started limping. The vet recommended
we continue the cytosar, but last Monday she could hardly get
around. And it has been downhill ever since. She has been on
her bed for the last three days, barely able to get up to go
outside. And then, she can hardly get back in the house.
I know the time has come, but my heart is breaking.
And so is my husband's. She is really our baby. He has three
children from a previous marriage and so do I. So, Michael
is our 'only' child together. She is failing fast and I know
what has to be done tomorrow. She has brought such joy to us.
She has only been away from home three times
in nine years: when we first got her she had parvo and spent
one night in the hospital with the cats (who couldn't catch
is); then she was spayed; and then in September she was there
for two nights. If we had to go somewhere and they didn't have
a hotel/motel who accepted dogs, I stayed home with her. She
loves to go in the car. I work and my husband is retired, so
she is his companion during the day while I am gone. They both
go out in the morning to see me off and I always have two treats
for her. One right after I get in the car and one after I have
backed out. And she is always there waiting for me to come
home in the afternoon. I cannot imagine our life without her.
Please keep her in your prayers (and us, too). What a wonderful
group of folks you are. You have brought so much comfort to
us.
Thanks,
Michele Garcia,
South Beach, Oregon
KATY
This is Katy our beautiful girl. She was smart,
sweet, loving and playful until she got sick. The vets were
unsure of cancer until too late. We let her go so she wouldn't
suffer further. She was so brave, she tried not to show it,
but she got so tired that she couldn't hide it. I'm glad I
didn't give her the prednisone on Christmas day. She opened
presents and was happy and didn't have the side effects that
day. That was her last Christmas and I'm glad it was a good
one.
We love her and look forward to seeing her
at the rainbow bridge.
AUGUSTA
June 25, 1995 to March 6, 2004
Augusta was diagnosed with canine breast cancer
in January 2004. Due to other health problems, we opted not
to take heroic measures to treat her, just to fill the last
few months of her life with LOVE.
Our family will miss her forever... especially
my husband... her favorite companion.
Holly L. Wells
Aunt Gusty's Treasures
Collectibles, Vintage Clothing &
Other Fine Junk
HEIDI
What a wonderful site Canine Cancer Awareness
is. Keep up the good work!
I'm hoping you'll post this very special little
girl and for all those that read it, remember that advances
are being made, and there are happy stories too! The first
picture is Heidi, the second is Heidi with her most favorite
thing ... her big brother Archie.
Heidi was five when she received emergency
lifesaving surgery to remove a grapefruit size tumor from her
intestines. She was diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma and after
a few good weeks we found out that the ChemoTherapy was not
working. Heidi's cancer never went into remission, she was
one of only 12 percent, we're told, of dogs with Lymphoma that
do not achieve at least one remission.
I wanted to let you know that Heidi is no
longer with us ... I can only hope that she's happy and playing
with her buddies at the rainbow bridge ... and since she was
my walking partner ... waiting for me so she can walk me to
where I have to go when it's my turn.
Heidi was best known to all that cared for
her as sweet, and that she was; however, to her brother (Archie)
and her dad (Dale) and myself, Heidi was extra special because
of her wonderful sense of humor!
I can't believe this horrible disease would
hurt such a sweet, sweet, innocent little thing so young...
and I surely do not understand why ... one thing for sure ...
it feels like a big part of us is missing ... and a big part
of our hearts ripped away. I can only hope that since I was
with her to the end ... that she never felt alone ... and that
she knew she was special and loved... and that her sweet spirit
is happy. I look forward to they days when my new guardian
angel makes me smile instead of cry whenever I think of the
joy she had brought to our lives.
— Bernice
JOEY - "HERO"
To my best friend Joey.
He is a lab mix, soon to be 10 years old in
Sept. Just 2 weeks ago, I got the news that any pet lover would
never want to hear, that their fur baby has cancer,and will
die...
My Joey is not just a dog, or a best friend,
my Joey saved my life last Oct. as I was being attacked and
raped...he risked his own life to save me. As I had saved him
long ago for the shelter.
I remember the day as if it was yesterday.
When I went into the shelter looking for a pal to share in
my life. You were there looking up at me with your big brown
eyes at the age of 7 weeks..I took you home and you became
a part of me, of my life. We have gone through so much. The
loss of our sweet Rusty.
You have had so many problems from the very
start, but you never stopped loving life.
As I write this to the song of "Josh" you're
still you....
As I watch you sleep, I think of you as that
little boy that I brought home just years ago. A nd now you
and I are facing the hardest things we will ever have to face.
And that is to say "good bye". Just 2 weeks ago my vet told
me that you have "mass cell tumor" that it's just a matter
of time.. that it can be a year, it could be less.
Joey, how do I tell you?? How do I tell you
that you will have to leave me?? How do I let you go?? you
are my "HERO" you have the strength and courage that I wish
that I would have you for life. You saved my life and I can't
save you.. all I can do is be with you and watch you leave
me when you have to go home to jesus...
Who will be with you when you are scared of
the dark? Or if you're just scared??? Who???
It should be ME!!!! I have asked Jesus to make
this one wish to come true, that when it's my time to come
home, that he will make sure that you know, that you'll be
at the Rainbow Bridge with Rusty and Duke waiting for me..
I love you Joey. And as I finish this there
is water on my face, you would always lick it off. The pain
runs deep in me and my heart. We will always go on together.
Until the end, we will be together as one..
I love you Joey...
your mama in life and in death I will be with
you.
— Jessy
TOBY & BANDIT
Jesus's little angel - To Bandit
On August 9th, 2004 I was never ready for what
was about to happen in my life. Of course, we are never ready
to lose the ones that we love with all of our hearts.
This year Bandit would have been Santa. His
present is all wrapped and is waiting for him to come home.
my sweet Bandit, he was a brave soldier that gave his heart...just
12 years old, he was full of himself and of life.
If you were having a bad day, he would sit
on his head to just make you laugh. He would look at you with
his big brown eyes, eyes so very filled with love, never asking
for anything in return. To just have a warm home, food to eat
and all the love in the world.
On Christmas Eve I went to the chapel at St.
Francis Hospital and I took the holy water and I blessed his
collar. As I sat, looking up at the statue of our God, that
night of Aug.18 went running through my mind. You see, the
nightmare all started back on Aug.9th when we took him to the
vet as he was breathing heavy, like panting. They took X-rays
and told me that I would have to wait for the test to come
back. That his lungs were filled with fluid. He was put on
meds and as the week went on, he didn't show any improvement.
By the 15th, he couldn't see anymore, that
his sight was gone, and I had to lead him to the outside or
to eat at this point. He was only eating boiled chicken and
rice. By Wed, he wouldn't respond to your voice as he couldn't
hear. I was to take him into the vet that Friday.
On the18th, he became more restless, his breathing
became rattled. I know now that I was hearing the death rattle.
That night at 7:30pm he fell into my arms. I then ran him the
the animal ER and he was losing the fight to a silent killer.
I had gone that first part of the week to the
hosp.and got some holy water. I took it out of my pocket and
in the sign of the cross, I blessed him. In seconds that seemed
a lifetime, he was gone. He had gone home to his creator. With
tears on my face, I held him so very tight and kept telling
him that it wasn't to end this way. That I was sorry that he
was in so much pain... I said these words to him:
Now I lay you down to sleep, I pray to Jesus
your soul to keep. Keep you safe, keep bad dreams away, lead
you to your new day."
The next day I went to the vet and I told her
of what happened that night. She told me that she feels that
it was cancer that killed him. Bandit, I come to you, your
Mama here on earth, I know that now that Jesus's Mama is your
Mama in heaven and all that I ask is that she loves you just
as much as I. That I know that you look down on me each night.
I love you, I long to hold you again and I know when its my
time to leave this earth, that you'll be at the Rainbow Bridge
waiting for me.
You have been given your white wings to fly
away. But know in your heart,
I love you...
your Mama on earth,
— Jessy
"To my sweet Toby". I have no words to say.
I know that you're in Heaven with your brother,"Bandit". That
you lived to be 14. Cancer is a true "Silent Killer". as I
told you to be cremated, I cried all the way home as I long
to hold you. Today when I was eating lunch, I cried so very
hard as it was just 1 week ago today when you were having trouble
eating. I will be with you both someday and we'll be together.
your Mama here on earth,
— Jessy
CEASER
The last walk…...
As I put your leash on for the last time, please
don’t be angry with me for what I have to do. I would never
mean harm to come to you my friend. You have grown in front
of me over the years. I have seen you come from a scared stray
dog that someone abandoned, to someone that filled my heart
with pride and joy. Yes, there were times when we tested each
other, but our hearts were joined.
As I take you for your last walk, know that
I will always be at your side. You will never leave my thoughts,
you will never leave my heart.
You have been my protector, my guardian, my
friend. I will always love you. As you took your last breath
in my arms, know that I love you, and only had to do this to
protect you from pain and suffering.
Ceasar, I will never forget you.
MOLLY
March 1992 —
Molly’s went through getting run over by me
TWICE, snake bit, farm dog, out lasted two wives, ripped dew
claw, moved across country, living on farm to apartment and
many other changes. Through all of that, she’s remained loyal
to me. This is some of here story.
Molly was 4 weeks old when she came in to my
life. Her mom ran out of milk. We lived on a farm in the Midwest
and fortunately it was easy to bottle feed her. Molly spent
her young days on the farm and also my partner. She was a working
dog helping me manage a cow heard and sheep flock and do daily
chores.
One late fall afternoon I gave in to the cold
wind and let Molly inside the farmhouse. After a while, I could
not find her anywhere. I called and called, but no Molly. I
check outside the house, the barn, the fields, the woods where
she liked to play.. but NO Molly! After looking for over 2
hours, I went upstairs to find here in my bed. That was the
time she turned from a working dog to a pet/working dog.
During a sunny summer day in 1994, I was racking
hay. Molly would love to run the fields while I was working.
This time she came too close to the front wheel while I was
turning and she got tagged. She let out a yelp and ran off
for a while. It turns out she was only sore.
Another time in fall of 1995 during the corn
harvest Molly came too close to a wagon tire and got bumped
again. She was sore for days, but recovered.
Christmas day 1996, I could not find her anywhere.
I looked and looked. This time she went exploring for two days.
When she returned, she ran through the deep snow to me like
she got scared during her adventure. Since that time, we’ve
always been close to each other.
That summer Molly received a snake bite on
the side of her nose. She swelled up like a basketball. After
a few days, she made a full recovery.
In 1997 I went through a divorce, sold the
farm, remarried and moved. Molly’s always been there for me.
I promised her that I’d always be there for her and take care
of her for the rest of her life.
In 2003, I met my wife Kynna who I’m so much
in love with. After a short time, Kynna and Molly bonded. They
have their routine of treats, affection and company when I’m
not around.
During Molly’s yearly visit to the local vet,
we discovered her lymph nodes under her neck swollen. After
the lab tests, I was informed of her Lymphoma. As typical with
Lymphoma, I was shocked that a seemly healthy dog has such
a chronic cancer. After consulting with a specialist we had
our option of Chemo treatment. Given her age, the cost of treatment,
remission statistics, and all the other data received, we optioned
for making her life a comfortable as we can for her last days.
When the time comes where she is suffering, we will euthanize
her. This will be the hardest thing I have ever done in my
life. Right now, it’s all about making her last days comfortable
and giving her lots of love.
I love Molly and will forever,
— David Gilmore
KODY
September 1, 1994 - April 4, 2005
This is Kody. We lost him to hemangiosarcoma
on April 4, 2005. He was born on September 1, 1994. The picture
shows Kody at one of this favorite places...Cannon Beach, Oregon.
Kody is a husky-shepherd-lab-chow mix and is the love of our
lives. He is terribly missed, tremendously loved and will be
always in our hearts. Run free sweet Kody...
we will be together again soon.
— Mike and Katy Kush
MAX
Ever since he was a puppy he has been a blessing.
I didn't know what I was in for bringing a boxer in my life
but I am soo glad I did. I remember all the fun times you had
playing with Ebbie( cat) even though Ebbie always prevailed.
Thru it all( and we have been thru a lot together) it was best
decision to have shared the last 7 years with Max. Today 5/10/05
Max turned 7 and unfortunately today Max will have to be put
to sleep to ease his pain & suffering from cancer. I loved
all the time we spent walking in the yard, our flower gardens,
the walks we took in the park & car rides. He loved to
run & play with Suzie his companion and the neighbor's
dogs. Max loved his pig ears & laying in the sun. One of
his favorite pastime's was sunning him self & sleeping.
He was very loved & cared for by everyone he met. He made
life enjoyable all the time even when the days were bad. He
is the best and will be missed dearly. He was my precious baby
that I will miss & love so very much and touched everyone
around him.
Love you Max
— Mommy, Marisa, Daddy & Suzie
LUCY
Lucy is an Australian Shepherd, who I adopted
about a year ago through a rescue organization. She is approximately
10 years old. Since she was a rescue, we aren't sure about
her exact age. When we first got her, she was very reserved,
shy, and scared. It was obvious she had never had a real home.
She also has evidence of physical abuse. It was my goal to
make sure I gave her the wonderful, loving home she had never
had. She is now a very happy, social dog.
About 4 weeks ago, she was diagnosed with
mammary cancer. She had surgery to remove the tumor, and the
vet feels confident she removed it all. Lucy is doing great
and seems to feel better than she ever has. This girl has had
a rough life and it seems like she just can't catch a break.
I will do everything I can until her final days to make sure
he enjoys the rest of her golden years pain-free. She is so
brave and so strong that it inspires me.
Shelley, Lucy, and Beetlejuice-Bailey
(the biggest Aussie ever)
ARPH NC - Volunteer
www.aussierescue.org
www.carolinasaussies.org
ZOEY
(Zopo)
February 2001 – May 2005
We lost our little girl yesterday 5/14/2005
– just a short 9 days after we found out there was a mass in
her chest. It turned out to be axial Osteosarcoma in her ribs
– and the tumor was so large it had ruptured causing her chest
to fill with blood. She was able to rebound and we thought
we would have two more months with her. Unfortunately the tumor
ruptured again yesterday and there was no rebounding this time.
There was no warning – she was fine one day and the next she
was sick. If the tumor hadn’t ruptured the first time we never
would have known she had cancer.
Our precious little Zopo – so much personality
and love to share with us every day. We were robbed of so much
time with her – she was only 4 years old. Zoey was such a good
girl – always wanted to be right where we were - curled up
with us on the couch. She was so quirky – would wind through
our legs when we got home every day – and liked to sleep on
her back, paws in the air next to us. She was such a kisser
– she would give us kisses as long as we would allow! She is
missed so much and her passing has left a huge hole in our
hearts. It’s not fair that she has gone so soon…she was a blessing
in our lives.
We miss you little girl and will never forget
you.
SKYE RICHARDS
October 12, 1999 – July 4, 2005
Skye joined our family when he was 18 months
old, cross-eyed and uncoordinated. He was affectionate, enthusiastic
and sensitive from the beginning, and quickly matured into
a beautiful, athletic, happy dog with great depth perception
(except occasionally when he was spooked by a piece of furniture
that never moved). He stole the pet therapy show from sister
Kylie with his delicate touch and gentle gaze that enriched
hundreds of lives. >
One day Skye was fine, the next day he urinated
excessively, and ten days later, after ruling out more desirable
illnesses, he was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma (Stage
V). Because he was only expected to live for 2-3 weeks and
was already losing his appetite, we chose prednisone over chemotherapy.
The holistic vet who was recommended to us through our Aussie
Rescue connections was leaving town for two weeks, so we read
and fed and began supplements immediately with the help of Dr.
Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats,
the Whole Dog Journal and Shirleys-Wellness-Cafe.com.
Two months after Skye's first symptom, an
abscess developed on a lymph node in his groin. He was uncomfortable
for 1-2 days until it ruptured, leaving a silver-dollar-sized
hole in his abdomen. He survived the abscess with antibiotics
and good hygiene. Skye was comfortable, happy and enjoying
our daily dog-centered activities while his energy level declined
ever so slowly. But his human family was feeling less and less
confident of our unguided alternative therapy, so we made an
appointment with the holistic vet. Whether coincidentally or
as a result of changing his supplements, Skye's health took
a nosedive and he was gone within two weeks. Three months isn't
very long, but it's way longer than three weeks and long enough
to celebrate an amazing life, have lots of fun, and say "I
love you" thousands of times.
BUBBA
This is Bubba, aka the Bubbster, the Bubbs,
Bubbaman, Mr. B. and Bubble. This is his "I'm lonely and I've
never had a friend or a cookie" picture, a far cry from the
truth since the Bubbster is one of the happiest and friendliest
dogs I have ever met. I adopted him from the New Rochelle Humane
Society late in January of 2000. He was five. We had a tough
first year, but thanks to the Black Dog Club and the books
by the monks of New Skete he turned around and became THE most
wonderful dog. In August of 2002 he was diagnosed with lymphoma.
We live on Cape Cod, and I opted to use my vet and the wonderful
folks at Eastham Veterinary instead of making the hike to either
Tufts or Angell Memorial. Bubba had 6 weeks of what I call
super-duper chemo (some of it was rough), then we went to every
other week. This went on for about a year, then he went into
remission and remained in remission until November of 2004.
In November we went to chemo every third week; in June of 2005
he developed a big lump on the side of his face and the nodes
beneath his jaw became huge. He's now back on super-duper chemo
and doing okay.
After he was diagnosed I thought we'd only
have six or eight months together and decided to bend one of
my cardinal rules and let him up on the couch. Three years
later I can't get him off. Next month it will be three years
since diagnosis. Three years. I know the second round of chemo
doesn't always go well and if remission is achieved it's generally
shorter than the first time. I can't complain, however. He's
ten now and loves his life. We live in a tourist mecca, and
Bubba's favorite thing to do is sop up admiration (he's a handsome
dog--a 75 lb. lab/mastiff mix with a big head and chest), make
people pet him, and then fall to the ground and show his belly
for more pets. I decided to post his picture and story (thank
you to the folks who run this site) because it's a good one.
He got cancer, he got treatment, and he's still going strong.
So, if your dog gets cancer or has cancer, take heart. You
never can tell. This could be your story, too.
First, I'd like to thank you for posting Bubba's
story on your Faces of Courage page. His story was such a good
one. However, I'm sorry and sad to tell you the the Bubs died
on Monday, January 16, 2006. He did well until a few weeks
ago--had a good response to new drugs, kept rallying in that
way dogs do. But the cancer resisted the drugs, things got
worse and a decision had to be made. He seemed so weary and
he went peacefully; my vet was just wonderful and all Bubba's
pals at the vets came in to say goodbye.
The Bubbster lived with lymphoma for three
years and five months, and, except for the last month or so,
he lived well. He was a happy dog and he had a good life. I
think treatment and a veterinary staff that really loved him
made all the difference. I think that's one of the reasons
he lived so long. We were lucky. Good luck to you if you're
reading this and your dog's just been diagnosed. While the
endings are all the same, it can be a long time until you get
there, and the time until you get there can be surprisingly
sweet. Don't give up until you have to.
Many thanks to the people at this site for
letting me tell Bubba's story.
Many thanks.
— Deborah Karacozian
CINNAMON
This is Cinnamon. She is a 13 year old chow
mix. She was diagnosed with lymphoma on July 15, 2005. She
started chemo on that same day and we are hoping for the best.
Within a few days she started to walk around on her own again.
She has always been the most stubborn dog
around. I believe that this will help in her fight against
this terrible disease. She has already overcome and lived with
Addisons for 12 years.
SHADOWDANCER
April 9, 1992 - November 7, 2005
To my dearest companion, Shadow,
Today the sun rose over the mountain and once
again I headed out on 'our' walk. Shadow your paws and golden
voice are muted. My soul is seared, but along our path I go
feeling your shinning spirit. I stay on our path and sing the
same old songs. When I get home , the unused dish, the empty
leash. I see you swirling in the last snow, and smelling the
flowers of summer. No heart so brave and true as yours. You
were kind to all creatures, even when they were unkind to you.
Alpha always. The leader with her own strengths. How beautiful
your heart, how gracious your soul. Such a brave heart through
the last week.
You taught me much.
I will always feel your presence close to
my left side.
You are the,Best of the Best, dear girl.......
Un till we meet beyond
— Your Mama
MACDUFF
April 1996 - September 2005
Macduff was returned to the shelter twice;
he was too rambunctious for his families. When I saw him he
was underfed and his leg was in a cast following a car accident.
I chose him because I'm a sucker for a handsome guy, and I
thought he would be good protection for my Chicago condo. As
it turned out, he was big enough to keep people away but was
such a lover boy that, once through the window, any burglar
would have been welcomed.
Five years after he was adopted, my future
husband fell in love with him too. The two of them vied for
alpha status; it was hard to say who won.
My husband and I cried as we learned that
he had hemangeosarcoma, and cried again after we learned he
had a short time left with us. We were grateful to have had
him as long as we did (four months from splenectomy and diagnosis),
and are grateful for caring vets and sites such as this. The
information provided on this web site was enormously helpful.
Our gentle lover boy was put down on Thursday, September 8,
and we were with him every step of the way. He was held in
many people's affection; especially children.
We miss him terribly.
SQUIRT
June 3, 2002 - August 15, 2005
Squirt was given to my husband Carl by his
best friend shortly before we became engaged. Squirt quickly
became the head of the household. When Squirt was almost a
year old, we purchased his mate Sissy, two weeks before Carl
and I married.
We couldn't have been happier with our little
family. Squirt and Sissy became instant mates with Squirt watching
over Sissy and bathing her almost every night. He barked at
every animal that invaded his TV and washed Daddy's ice cream
bowl every night. He loved to ride and running "Circle 8's" were
his trademark. In 2004 Squirt and Sissy blessed us with "Baby",
the only one of three puppies who survived. Had the other two
puppies survived, we probably would not have kept "Baby". We
realize now how blessed we are. Baby, although not the same
color has Squirt's face, his jaunt and his loving personality.
Sadly, in the summer of 2005, Squirt became sick. He'd been
checked by the vet earlier in the year with scaly skin and
fur that was not "right". It wasn't until he became critically
ill did we finally get a diagnosis of lymphoma.
We fought hard to save Squirt. He fought just
as hard as we did to get well. He made it very clear he did
not want to be in the ER/Specialty clinic and would walk to
the parking lot, pick out our car and go sit by it when we
visited him at the hospital. His liver was destroyed and after
two incredibly sad and difficult weeks, Squirt went to Rainbow
Bridge on August 15, 2005. He is so terribly missed. I cannot
help but feel that we should have diagnosed this horrible disease
earlier. I made him a promise on his last day with us that
I would take care of his girls. A promise I intend to keep.
Squirt, your loving spirit still lives with
us. Not a day goes by that we don't think about you and miss
you. Sissy and Baby miss their Squirt boy. Grandma misses you
too.But your Mommy and Daddy will never forget you, never stop
loving you and will always hold you dear in our heart. We Miss
You Squirt.....We Miss You So.
Love, Mommy and Daddy
A donation has been made in Squirt's memory.
Please keep up the good work. Someday maybe this horrible disease
will be eradicated.
— Carl and Nancy Travis
DESTINY
UPDATE 12-15-08 —
On September 29, 2005 my beautiful dog, Destiny was diagnosed with lymphoma. She
was treated with the Wisconsin Protocol and quickly achieved remission. Now
three years and nearly two months later she continues to be in initial remission
with excellent quality of life throughout. She is my miracle!
Her beautiful little face is in your Faces Of Courage Gallery!
On January 11, 2009, Destiny will be 13 years old and to celebrate I am giving
her a "Bark" Mitzvah and 13th birthday party. In lieu of gifts we have
asked our guests to consider making a donation to Canine Cancer Awareness,
one of two charities I have chosen who help those with cancer dogs.
Thank you for all you do!
— Lynn and Destiny Stone
Lynn and Destiny
"Team Destiny"
Dx lymphoma: 9-29-05
In Remission Since: 10-18-05
Believe In Miracles!
The dog is the god of frolic.
- Henry Ward Beecher
This is my dog, Destiny, a sweet,gentle, dignified
Welsh Corgi/ Schipperke mix. She will be 10 in January and
was diagnosed with lymphoma on September 30, 2005. She is on
chemotherapy as well as holistic supplements and is currently
in complete remission. She is my joy. She is entwined in my
soul. She is my heart.
— Lynn Stone
GINGER
Ginger unfortunately had to be euthanized
December 30, 2005. She was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of
her anal gland in October and due to the fact that she was
13 years and 11 months old surgery wasn't a good bet for her.
She was the most beautiful Sheltie and my best
friend. I expected to have her until February, but that was
not to be. The cancer, we believed, metastasized to her lungs.
Either heart failure or her lungs not working properly made
her collapse. At this point we knew she was hurting and took
her to the Emergency clinic where they put her on oxygen. They
gave her medications to ease her distress. We spent time with
her when she was feeling better and she had some of her favourite
treats and then we made the hardest decision of our lives which
was to put her to sleep and release her from this terrible
disease.
I will never get over the pain in my heart
from losing her and will always remember the way she sang on
command. She told me what she wanted almost as if she could
talk. She was a beautiful companion for our family for almost
14 years. I light a candle to keep her spirit close to me on
Mondays for the Rainbow Bridge group and Fridays to remember
the day she died.
The empty house is unbearable without her here
and will never be the same. I hope the poem Rainbow Bridge
is right and she is waiting for me pain free. I will never
forget her tail wagging whenever she saw us even to the last
day; the ways she barked whenever I used the wheelbarrow at
the cottage; the chasing of the squirrels away from the bird
feeder; how she barked at the waves when the water got rough;
the times when she would hide under my bed when it thundered
and greet me every morning looking for her treats. The circles
she used to run around in when the garage door opened.
She is missed so much by her family. I feel
as long as I can remember all these things she is still here,
at least in our hearts and memories.
We miss you Ginger!
ZOE
Zoe was my little girl and losing her was devastating.
I adopted her from a shelter when she was eight weeks old.
She was only 11 years old and was misdiagnosed as having allergies
or a cold when in fact she had lymphoma. It was two weeks and
a few more vet visits before another vet looked at her and
knew she was very sick and did a chest x-ray. She diagnosed
lymphoma and sent us for an ultrasound.
By now Zoe was having difficulty breathing
and eating. The ultrasound showed that she had very advanced
lymphoma which had spread into her spleen and liver. We were
not ready to let her go and scheduled a biopsy so we could
begin treatment, but it became apparent in the next couple
of days that she was having extreme difficulty breathing and
was very uncomfortable.
We made the very painful decision to end her
suffering, and I held her head in my arms with my husband by
her side as well as she quietly passed. I miss her dearly and
think of her every day. We had 11 wonderful years and I hope
she knows I will always have a special place in my heart for
her.
I love you Zoe.
TARA
SEPTEMBER 1, 2005
Could you please put this picture of my sweet
dog “Tara” in your Faces of Courage Gallery. She is losing
her fight with cancer and my wish is that people will keep
her in their thoughts and prayers.
Tara is an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier
and she is 8 ½ years old. I’ve had her since she was a
baby. Tara has Mammary Gland cancer and she was operated on
in April 2005. The doctors knew then that it was advanced and
they couldn’t get it all. They gave her about 4 months to live
as they were sure it was already in her lungs. Now 4 months
later it’s also in her liver and I’m going to lose her soon.
I’m completely devastated. She is the sweetest dog – she loves
everyone – even her doctor. She can hardly wait to get into
the door of his office and she cries until he comes in to see
her. She hasn’t had an easy life as she developed epilepsy
when she was 1 ½ years old. She’s been on medication almost
her whole life and she’s been through some terrible seizures.
I thought I was going to lose her last year when she had 9
seizures in one night. But she made it and now cancer is going
to take her from me. She is loved by so many people – with
her beautiful soulful eyes. Please keep her in your thoughts
and prayers.
FOOTNOTE
Before I could get Tara’s story and her picture
off to you, I had to put her to sleep on September 17, 2005.
I couldn’t ask anymore of her and I knew I had to let her go.
On her last night at home, she could no longer eat and she
couldn’t swallow her epilepsy medication. Without her medication,
the seizures would begin and I didn’t want her to die having
an epileptic seizure and I didn’t want her to die alone. I
wanted her to be with the ones she loved. Her breathing had
become short and rapid and I knew I would have to take her
in the next morning. Lately because her body was so swollen
with cancer, she needed help from behind to get up the stairs
at night in case she started to fall. But on this night she
wouldn’t go upstairs. She just wanted to lie on the carpet
in the downstairs bathroom. I left all the lights on for her
downstairs. I went upstairs for a while and I fell asleep on
the bed. About 6:00 AM in the morning, it was barely twilight
in the room. I opened my eyes and there was Tara right next
to the bed looking straight into my eyes. She had come to say
goodbye. I’ll never know how she made it up the stairs by herself.
I put her on the bed and she laid in my arms. I could see her
beautiful face and eyes in the dim light. She just laid there
while I stroked her head and I told her how much I loved her.
A few hours later I took her in. The hardest thing I ever had
to do. That night it was the Harvest Moon and the entire sky
was lit up. It was like the Heavens were welcoming Tara. My
Sweet Sweet Tara. I miss her so much and I’d give anything
to have her back.
Thank you for keeping Tara in your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Colleen McDonnell
Encino, California
CHARLIE
My family and I had just lost our beautiful,
10 year old Aussie Shepherd named Charlie, to cancer three
nights ago (on February 13, 2006. ) By amazing coincidence,
my husband came across the LA Times article about Daniel and
Cuervo which appeared the day after Charlie's death. From there,
I decided to check out your web site and in the midst of my
grief, I was stunned by the number of dogs that suffered (and
still suffer) from the same symptoms and fate that my Charlie
suffered.
It was only recently that we found out our "Big
Oof" was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma cancer. Unfortunately,
we were disillusioned for we did not see the signs until a
week ago. Then a week later, after we found an abdominal tumor
near his spleen, the vet told us he was close to death. We
thought we could prolong his life by surgically removing his
tumor. But to our horror, we discovered that the cancer had
spread to his heart. We had no choice but to "let him go" that
night. And as I was cradling his furry head and stroking his
ears, I constantly tried to convey to him how much I loved
him and how much he meant to our family. Then moments later,
while he was in my arms, Charlie left this world peacefully
devoid of the chronic pain and suffering that the cancer had
inflicted on him only minutes and days ago. This was the most
heart-wrenching experience of my life.
We will always remember him as a vibrant,
gorgeous dog with hair as thick as a lion's mane and a bark
as boisterous as a lion's roar. Yet, he was gentle and playful
as a silly puppy. He will be especially missed by his companion
and "wife" Daisy (the white Pointer-mix next to him in the
picture). It is very apparent that she is heartbroken and depressed
without him and we also feel the same way as she does. We will
never be the same, since you left us, Charlie. We miss you
and love you infinitely. And maybe someday, we can all be together
again in another lifetime.
Your loving family always,
— Geralyn, Joel , Porschia and Daisy Adler
BARNUM
Dear friends:
Barnum Lamoureux was diagnosed on Halloween
of 2005 with spleen cancer. Unfortunately he was misdiagnosed
by the emergency vet services then two days later we took Barnum
to our regular vet and found that his spleen had burst spreading
cancer into his system. After invasive surgery in October,
Barnum began his chemo treatment in November of 2005. We were
told that he could only have five treatments of chemo and on
March 1st Barnum had his last treatment. Two weeks after having
the last treatment we took Barnum to have an ultrasound and
blood tests to be sure that this terrible disease had not infected
any other of his organs. Our Vet was so encouraged at his progress
hoped that we would have many future years with this wonderful
member of our family. Unfortunately, on May 9th, 2006, Barnum
took a terribly dramatic turn for the worse and on May 10th
our Vet confirmed that the cancer had spread and he was in
terrible pain.
Our hearts ache every day for this beautiful
little boy who started his life as a rescue dog that no one
wanted. If you ask, would we do it all again, you bet. To have
his wonderful smile, personality and genuine love for just
a few months, no matter the cost, absolutely. We only hope
that he did not suffer.
The Lamoureux's
— Ken, Sue, and Bailey
MAGGIE McCAIN
Maggie is an 12 1/2 yr old White Westhighland
Terrier recently diagnosed with Transitional Cell Carcinoma.
She lives with her human parents and her sister from a previous
litter, Molly, who is 14 yrs old. Both are very active and
with the exception of Maggie having to strain to urinate you
would never know anything is wrong with her. She is taking
Piroxicam at this time and the only problem we are having is
with nausea and vomiting early in the morning hours. She is
well loved and we plan to continue to monitor the TCC and at
the time she demonstrates complications which cause her pain
and she is not the Maggie we know and love we will choose euthanasia.
We fear we will lose Molly shortly thereafter due to the bond
the two of them share. They lived with us on our 36 foot sailboat
for 5 yrs and are definitely "Water Westies." Most people in
our neighborhood and surrounding know us as "parents of THE
GIRLS." They do not know our names, but definitely know M&M.
Thank you for providing us with the information regarding canine
cancer. We are sending a donation via paypal to continue this
work.
— The McCains
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