Around 25% of dogs in America die of cancer. This means that at least one of four dogs in the US eventually has to deal with this terrible disease.
Some owners can afford to save their beloved pets. But treatment is extremely costly, and some families just can’t put the money down for it. And so, they have to make the very difficult decision of relinquishing their pet to a shelter, or even to have them put to sleep.
She thought it was the end…
Roxy, a little tricolour mixed breed, began to suffer from TVT (Transmissible Venereal Tumour), which is a sexually transmitted form of cancer. Her owners were unable to pay for her chemotherapy, so they decided instead to leave her at a shelter.
When Roxy arrived at the Sidewalk Specials Veterinary Clinic, many thought she had no chance of survival. She had already lost a significant amount of weight, she was bleeding profusely, and was constantly lethargic. To top it off, she was heartbroken by her family's abandonment.
The vets had decided to humanely euthanise her to put her out of her misery. But something happened that changed everything.
Just minutes before she was supposed to be injected, the vet went to check on her in her kennel. Roxy started wagging her tail as energetically as she could, and stared insistently into the doctor’s eyes, as if to say, “Please, give me a chance…”
…but she refused to give up
Seeing her so willing to fight this battle and hang on to life, the vet changed his mind.
And so, the entire clinic decided Roxy was theirs, and she had to be saved. Everyone contributed to her chemotherapy treatment, and after months of exhausting hospitalisation, she pulled through, and won her battle!
Even better, just a few weeks after her recovery, Roxy was adopted by a new family, one that would never give up on her.
Now she spends her days running around the garden with her new doggo sibling, and getting lots of cuddles from her human mum. We are so proud of you, Roxy! You deserve the best!
See more of Roxy's incredible journey here:
