Dog Owner Credits Hero Pet with Detecting Her Breast Cancer Early: 'My Little Lifesaver'

Kimberlee Speakman
·2 min read
3

"She's a very affectionate dog, but she's never behaved like that before — she wouldn't leave me alone," the woman said of her pup

<p>Trisha Allison / SWNS</p>

Trisha Allison / SWNS

A mother of two says she has her dog to thank for her health.

Trisha Allison, 50, told SWNS that she had been on her couch watching TV on a Saturday morning when her 2-year-old dog named Luna jumped on her chest, hitting her right breast, per the New York Post.

The pup then started sniffing and nudging at Allison's chest before lying beside her.

"She's a very affectionate dog, but she's never behaved like that before — she wouldn't leave me alone," Allison told the BBC.

<p>Trisha Allison / SWNS</p> Trisha and her dog Luna pose on a couch.

Trisha Allison / SWNS

Trisha and her dog Luna pose on a couch.

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Allison, who gets regular checkups on her breasts, told the outlet that her chest continued to hurt after Luna jumped on her, so she "checked herself" through a self-exam and said something "didn't feel right."

So she made an appointment for a biopsy and was diagnosed with cancer two weeks later, on April 18.

Since then, Allison has started cancer treatment and had two operations at Nottingham City Hospital to remove the lump in her breast. She is waiting to find out if she needs further chemotherapy.

<p>Trisha Allison / SWNS</p> Trisha Allison's dog named Luna poses for the camera.

Trisha Allison / SWNS

Trisha Allison's dog named Luna poses for the camera.

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After detecting her cancer early, Allison praised her pup to BBC, saying, "I think she knew — she's my little lifesaver."

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which treated Allison, told BBC that this isn't the first time they've seen a dog draw attention to a spot that might be cancerous "usually by repeatedly sniffing or nudging the area."

However, the hospital said it is not always a "reliable" way of detecting cancer, and they recommend practicing "regular self-examination" and attending "regular screening mammograms."

<p>Trisha Allison / SWNS</p> Trisha Allison and her dog Luna pose for a picture.

Trisha Allison / SWNS

Trisha Allison and her dog Luna pose for a picture.

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Allison seconded that, saying, "I have always checked myself regularly, and the last time I had done so, I hadn't felt anything there. I would say it's really important for people to do that, even if they are not prompted by a pet."

But she reiterated the importance of having Luna by her side that day.

"If it wasn't for Luna, I would not have found it that day," she told SWNS. "Because I have dense breasts, I might have not banged them again for a couple of years or so — my story might have been very different."

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