Woman credits her dog for spotting breast cancer

By Isobel Williams

A dog owner says her pet saved her life after repeatedly pawing at her armpit - which alerted her to breast cancer.

Kristine Richards, 61, says her now eight-year-old chihuahua Flag started the odd behavior in 2018, constantly hitting the underside of her arm with his paw.

The owner originally dismissed the behavior until she spotted a small lump under her breast and she started to suspect her pup was trying to tell her something.

The retiree from Wellington, Somerset, went to an oncologist and was diagnosed with hormone-sensitive lobular breast cancer in November that year.

After a year of intense treatments, Kristine is now cancer free, and says that this is down to Flag detecting it so early – as she had no other symptoms.

She said: "He started pawing under my arm on one side, especially in the evening. It was very annoying I must say at the time.

"My initial thought was that it was nothing, but then I started to wonder if there was a connection. I had heard that dogs could tell if there was cancer.

"I went out to get it looked at and it was cancer. You can't underestimate the shock. I couldn't take it in. I just started crying."

Kristine says she had felt physically normal and had no symptoms for her cancer when she went to the oncologist, who said it is quite common for dogs to sniff these issues out.

After a full day of tests including a mammogram and an ultrasound, she received the news that she had cancer, and that it was an aggressive form which had spread to her lymph nodes.

Following her diagnosis, Kristine underwent surgical, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and drug therapy treatment.

There were some complications including having to end chemotherapy early due to the impact on her feet and legs, as they were worried she would lose her ability to walk.

However, a year later she received the news that she was in remission and the cancer has not come back since.

Kristine says that Flag stopped pawing at her arm after her first round of chemotherapy, and hasn't done it again since.

She added: "When I started my treatment he just knew and turned into a completely different dog.

"After I had my first round of chemotherapy he completely stopped. He has never done it again and I have to say if he did do it again I would worry.

"It was a very difficult time of my life. In times like those you find out who your true friends are and ultimately I did, and the answer was my dog.

"I am now in remission. I cried with relief when they told me. It was like getting to the end of a very long journey where you don't quite know where you are going."

Flag is now her trained assistance dog, and gets lots of hugs and treats - especially the lamb ones which are his favourite.

She says that he has now saved her life twice, stopping her being pushed in front of a moving car more recently.

Flag is a local celebrity, and was even previously made the honorary mayor of St Marychurch, Torquay.

Kristine added: "If he hadn't alerted me it would have taken much longer for me to go about it.

"He saved my life. I owe my dog everything.

"I was very scared of chemotherapy. I would not have gone through with chemo if it wasn't for my dog. I wanted to get through it for him so that we could have a happy life."

The dog and his owner are now known in the area for their charity work, hosting coffee mornings regularly.

Currently they are supporting Breast Cancer Now's Wear It Pink day.

Kristine added: "Flag is a little bundle of cheek. When I got him, he was a little terror, he wanted to chew everything. My sister said he was useless and trouble. Little did she know.

"He is very popular my dog. He is a little community champion. He is super intelligent.

"The more people know about him, the more money we can raise for charity and the more awareness we can get."

Support people like Kristine and sign up for Breast Cancer Now's Wear It Pink day on Oct. 23 to help change the future of breast cancer.