Gill and Trudi

In 1978, magazine editor Gillian Lacey noticed her pet dalmatian Trudii was paying consistent attention to what she thought was a freckle on her leg. "Had Trudii not kept sniffing at this freckle, I never would have thought anything was amiss". "It was tiny and, to the naked eye, there was nothing suspect about it. But she did it time and time again, and I started to feel concerned. "Eventually, I decided to go to the doctor because I'd heard that moles could turn cancerous. The freckle was removed and tests showed it was a malignant melanoma."

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Maureen and Max

I found a lump in my breast during my self examination routine. I checked on my last mammogram results in Jan 2006 which showed all clear so I was not unduly worried. I’ve always owned and loved dogs and have two, a retired greyhound Grace (adopted in Dec 2006) and Max a red collie cross aged nearly ten rehomed by us from the RSPCA when he was one year old. I’ve always had a special bond with him and love him dearly especially as events unfolded. By mid May I thought he was aging fast as he was showing unusual signs not so playful wouldn’t jump on my lap or share our bed or sit at my feet and with his eyes so sad and dull. I stood in front of the bedroom mirror feeling this breast lump and MAX just looked at me so sad and instantly knew that I had cancer.

Twenty years prior to all this I’d has a fibroadonoma (non-malignant) removed so I knew lumps were rarely cancerous. At other times Max would come and touch the lump area and back off very unhappy. He would sniff my breath on numerous occasions, I was confused, did I put MAX’s strange behaviour and changes down to his advancing years or was something really wrong. I knew what it all meant on that day I stood in front of the mirror.

I saw my GP very quickly and was referred to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire – Breast clinic where after numerous visits involving mammogram and scan (both showing negative!!!), biopsy’s – two lots, my cancer was finally confirmed. On the same day I told my Breast Care Nurse that I already knew as my dear dog had told me. I thought she would laugh but she confirmed she’d heard it before. Then I realised I was not going mad and told various friends what I’d experienced. I then went ahead and had my operation to remove the lump and four lymph nodes. Results – invasive lobular carcinoma/ grade 1 / size 2.5cm, all four lymph nodes were clear and there was no vascular invasion.

On my return home from the surgery I was greeted by my old Max – totally different, overjoyed and doing all the old things he had done before cancer. He would lay his head across my shoulder and onto my breast when in the car. I knew all was well. He even sniffed my operation site and wagged is tail and his eyes where clear and happy. All has gone well and I’m to start the routine radiotherapy soon. I’ve been told the prognosis is excellent.

Hazel Woodget and Pepe

Hazel Woodget says her chihuahua Pepe has detected cancer on three occasions. "I had no idea there was anything wrong until Pepe started behaving strangely around me," she says. "He kept staring at me, and when I was lying on the sofa watching TV, he'd get on top of me and start nuzzling into my left breast and armpit.

"It was very annoying, so I would tell him off and put him on the floor. Then, on one occasion, he came and sat directly on top of my chest. I suddenly felt a sharp, searing pain deep inside my breast. I went to the doctor the following week." Hazel discovered she had breast cancer and within a month, she had a mastectomy and started chemotherapy.

Pepe's behaviour returned to normal until that December, when again he started to act strangely. "I phoned my doctor immediately and said: 'Look, I know it sounds silly but my dog is acting strangely again.' He told me to come straight in." Further tests revealed the cancer had spread into the mastectomy scar, and Hazel required further surgery.

Six months later, Pepe again reverted to his unusual behaviour, this time centring his efforts on the remaining breast. "I didn't hesitate in returning to the doctor," says Hazel. "I wasn't surprised when tests revealed my right breast was cancerous."

Hazel, who has had a double mastectomy, is still on medication, and credits Pepe with saving her life. "My doctor has said that if I'd left it much longer, the cancer would most likely have spread to a life-threatening stage."