Dog saves owner’s life by alerting her to breast cancer lump

Karena Kirk-Drain and Bella-Boo
Bella-Boo seemed to sense her owner Karena Kirk-Drain was suffering from cancer (Picture: SWNS)
A dog owner has credited her dog with saving her life after the Yorkshire Terrier jumped on her chest — which alerted her to a cancerous lump. Karena Kirk-Drain, 53, says she wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for her 11-year-old Bella-Boo. The protective pet began acting up on Karena’s late mum’s birthday and kept trying to lie on her chest despite being pushed away. A few weeks later, Karena thought the little dog was unwell when she wouldn’t stop weeping but baffled vets confirmed that she was in fact fit and healthy.

Use Baking Soda to Clean up Pet Urine. If your dog pees on the carpet use baking soda (which is also great at removing odors) to clean it up. Pour some baking soda over the spot, let it sit for 20 minutes and then vacuum it up.

Bella-Boo’s manner then became more frantic when she started licking and forcefully bouncing on Karena’s chest, leaving her in pain.

And it was only after she began assessing her injuries that she noticed a lump beneath her skin.

She quickly sought the advice of specialist doctors who confirmed that she had breast cancer which had already started to spread.

Karena then underwent life-saving treatment and believes the disease would have been missed if it wasn’t for Bella-Boo’s actions.
Karena Kirk-Drain, 53, says she wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her 11-year-old Bella-Boo. See SWNS story SWLEdog; A dog owner has credited her pet pooch with saving her life after the Yorkshire Terrier jumped on her chest - which alerted her to a cancerous lump. Karena Kirk-Drain, 53, says she wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her 11-year-old Bella-Boo. The protective pooch began acting up on Karena's late mum's birthday and kept trying to lie on her chest despite being pushed away. A few weeks later, Karena thought the little dog was unwell when she wouldn?t stop weeping, but baffled vets confirmed that she was in fact fit and healthy.
Bella-Boo kept jumping on Karena’s chest and weeping, alerting her owner something might be wrong (Picture: SWNS)

Find ways to enrich your pet’s environment. Your dog or cat needs your help to stay mentally stimulated. This is important not only to discourage destructive behavior in younger pets, but also to keep your older pet’s brain sharp.

She said: ‘I wouldn’t be here without Bella doing that.

‘I didn’t think dogs could detect cancer. I thought it was a lot of hoo-ha really, but this proves that they can and how amazing they are.

‘I’m just so lucky to be here — little Bella-Boo saved my life.’

Karena said she noticed a change in Bella-Boo’s behaviour on October 14, 2013, the same date as her mum’s birthday, who had died two years earlier.

She said: ‘It was my mum’s birthday, which was really bizarre, and she started acting really weird.

Use Covers to Keep Your Furniture Fur Free. Do you allow your pets on the furniture? If you do you’re well aware of how hard is to keep them clean. My favorite tip for keeping your furniture clean and fur free is to use a cover. You can use sheets, blankets or slip covers — and if you want something to match your decor you can get them custom made. When it’s cleaning time you just throw those covers in the wash & you’re good to go.

‘Bella always slept on the back of my legs, but she kept lying on my chest.

‘I’m quite small-framed, so with a Yorkshire terrier on me, I couldn’t breath, but every time I took her off me, she’d crawl back on again.’

Karena said Bella-Boo’s odd demeanour continued over the following three weeks and later the little dog started to cry, leaving her concerned about her health.

She said: ‘She started laying there and crying and it was a heart-breaking cry. It was soul-destroying hearing her like that.

Karena Kirk-Drain and Bella-Boo
Bella-Boo became even more aggressive as Karena’s cancer spread (Picture: SWNS)

Make Some Simple Frozen Dog Treats. Looking for an easy way to keep your dog busy? Make them some frozen dog treats. Freeze some broth in ice trays to give your dog a nice little treat on those hot summer days.

‘I took her to the vets and said, “There’s something wrong with my dog, she’s lying on me and crying, she’s obviously trying to tell me something — she must be in pain”.

‘But they checked her heart and did some basic checks and said there was nothing wrong with her.’

Karena said Bella-Boo then began to lick her chest before she became even more aggressive.

She said: ‘Bella started bouncing on me, and at one point she caught me — and I actually thought she’d bruised me, as I was very sore there.

‘And I was feeling around, and I actually felt a lump, and I was thinking, “Is that a lump inside?”.’

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Spiked collars were originally fashioned in ancient Greece to protect dogs’ throats from wolf attacks.

Karena was later advised by a nurse at a walk-in centre to seek immediate assistance from a specialist cancer doctor.

She was then informed by medics that she had breast cancer — and, worryingly, the disease had already started spreading.

She said: ‘The doctor said the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes — that’s probably why Bella was getting more determined because it was spreading.’

Karena then underwent years of life-saving cancer therapy and went on to holiday around the world after realising how lucky she was to get her diagnosis early enough.

Make a Re-Stuffable Dog Toy. Does your dog go bonkers with stuffed toys? If your dog likes to rip stuffed animals apart you can make a re-stuffable dog toy.

And she now believes Bella-Boo was sent by her late mum to save her life.

She said: ‘Me and my mum were very, very close, and she passed away quite suddenly at 62.

‘I didn’t believe in that type of thing. I didn’t believe that dogs could detect cancer. I didn’t believe that there was anything after death. But I think differently now.

‘My husband is actually getting treated for cancer now — but she never bothered him. She just zoned into me.

‘That’s why I think my mum sent her for me, it was weird.

‘Once I got the cancer removed, she stopped straight away, and she started lying behind my legs again.’

Teach your dog to file his or her own nails by attaching sandpaper to a piece of wood.

Karena hopes by sharing her story more people might pay attention to their pets’ strange behaviour in the future.

She said: ‘Maybe if people see their dog start acting strange, they’ll be able to think twice.

‘People underestimate dogs and cats and all animals. But they are amazing creatures. I’m just so lucky to be here. Little Bella-Boo saved my life.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this,check our news page .

Sign Up for News Updates

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more

Meeting your new puppy, kitten or any other pet can be an exciting experience. Your pet, however, has some adjusting to do. New sights, smells and sounds can be overwhelming for the little guy and keeping a calm household is important.

Not convinced? Find out more »