I was an Animal Control Officer and he was a wild, mangy puppy. He had a lot of health issues and was terrified of everything. I started fostering him to prepare him for adoption, but his anxiety and fear were going to take years to work through. In addition to the anxiety, he has skin problems, digestive issues, a luxating kneecap, broken teeth........Then on August 6, 2019, at 9 1/2 years old, h
e was diagnosed Oral Melanoma. It was extremely aggressive (mitotic rate of 20) and because it had been in a very challenging location for surgery, we didn't get clean margins. I asked the vet, "Can he beat this?". The answer was no, but I could give him time. The oncologist gave me the same answer, 1 - 1 1/2 years normal quality of life is average with treatment. So we started treatment. Immunotherapy injections and radiation. He has handled all of it great. And into September 2020 there had been no recurrence of the cancer. Then on Sept 24 2020, a small dark mass was found on his tongue. We knew it was the cancer. But did the biopsy to confirm. After many discussions with the oncologist and the surgeon, I decided to do surgery again. We always knew the cancer was likely to return, but he continues to do well and there had been no metastasis. He recovered from the second surgery well and had hoped for many more cancer free reports. But on Feb 8 2021 lung x-rays showed a mass on his lung. I was devastated and shocked. I did lots of research and did what I tell everyone to do, listen to your pet. He was still 100% Jenga, so I decided to do chemo. About a month later, while on chemo, the cancer returned on his tongue. He continued to do well on chemo and the cancer was stable. Then in August of 2021 everything changed. 2 more spots were found on his lung and he started to have some neurological issues. The cancer had spread to his brain and he only had a month left, at best. I took off work, spent every minute with him and made sure he enjoyed every moment. Then on August 26 2021, he gained his wings. I was and still am heartbroken. But 2 things became clear to me at the beginning of this journey. First, people aren't aware of pet cancers. When talking to people about Jenga I would hear 2 things. "I didn't know pets could get cancer." and "I know about pet cancers because I lost a pet to it.". People aren't aware their pet can get cancer until the diagnosis. So they aren't looking for warning signs. EARLY DETECTION IS CRUCIAL! Second, treatment is extremely expensive! In the first year Jenga's treatments had cost approximately $13,000. I have had a lot of help that allowed me to give him what he needs, but many people aren't able to do that for their pet. These 2 things are why I started this page and started selling the "Cancer Bites" clings.
1. To help educate people about pet cancers.
2. To raise funds to help families pay for their pets cancer treatments.
