She found her dog at Bath Cats and Dogs Home, where she worked as a manager. There was a dog brought from the street, presumably a cross between a mastiff and a Staffordshire terrier.
A paw had to be amputated because he was covered in dirt and abrasions. A veterinarian said he had never seen so many fractures in one limb in his practice. Karen visited the ward after the operation. Karen felt compelled to take home the sick three-legged dog she saw in the shelter’s enclosure.
She had no idea then that the dog she had given a chance for a good life would one day save her life. Six years after Louie joined the Karen family, the dog suddenly began to behave in an unusual manner. The dog kept poking his nose and head into the owner’s chest, as if trying to communicate with her. Karen felt a lump just in the spot Louis pointed to a few days later. She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in its third stage immediately after the examination.
It was urgent to begin treatment because the tumor behaved aggressively. In order to reduce the size of the mass, the doctors recommended that Karen undergo chemotherapy first, and then undergo surgery. As someone who lost her mother to breast cancer, Karen knew what she would have to face, but she never gave up hope.
Karen went into remission after six months of chemotherapy, surgery to remove her tumor and lymph nodes, and three weeks of radiotherapy. As she fought a dangerous disease, Louis, an amazingly loyal and intelligent dog, was nearby. I was very scared, but Louis was always there to support me,” Karen recalls.
When his owner needed communication, the dog intuitively knew when to leave her alone. Karen was able to fight and not despair because of Louis’ silent support. Louis is partly responsible for the woman’s recovery, she says. I am so grateful to fate for bringing him into my life. She calls him the best dog in the world.
