May is Pet Cancer Awareness Month, and an opportunity for me to write about Stav, the very good girl in the picture.

Stav was our beloved rescue dog. She was about three years old when we adopted her, and must have been through a lot in her short life already. Stav loved treats, walks, and belly rubs. A few months after we adopted her, during a happy belly rub session, we felt a bump under her skin which led to an emergency vet visit. Stav was diagnosed with mammary cancer. Luckily, the cancer has not spread, and the wonderful veterinarians at Angell Medical Center were able to remove the entire tumor in surgery.

Stav recovered well, and spent another year as a happy low energy girl. Then, her legs failed her during a walk with her pet sitter. Another trip to the emergency veterinary hospital revealed that Stav had cancer again. She must have been sick for a while, but did a very good job of hiding it, because by the time she was diagnosed, the cancer had spread from her lungs to her spleen and much of her body. There wasn’t anything we could do, but keep her comfortable while she was with us. Three weeks later, her pain was too much to bear, and we had to let her go.

Stav wasn’t with us for a very long time, but while she was with us, she brought us happiness, love, and joy, and that is the way I remember her. I miss her every day.

Unfortunately, the knowledge and treatments available for cancer in pets is limited, and today is a good opportunity to raise awareness, that may enable more research. You can read more about cancer in cats on International  Cat Care and find more about research for a cure for both pets and humans at the Animal Cancer Foundation.