We all know how dogs are gifted with the heightened sense of smell that helps them gather information about any particular person or thing just by sniffing them. That’s why armies across the world hire sniffing dogs and hounds and train them to detect bombs and other hazardous things.
For the uninitiated, these four-legged creatures also have the ability to detect diseases hence, they are often trained as medical detection pets. Well, their innate ability of sniffing had saved the life of this 65-year-old woman from Bargoed, South Wales.
Linda Munkley, says that her two pet German Shepherds (out of the four) have helped her detect her fast-growing breast cancer. According to NDTV, Linda started looking for lumps in her breast after noticing her two dogs behaving strangely. They reportedly started sniffing her breast area and head-butting her chest.
“One day I was sitting on the sofa when Bea jumped up and began intensely sniffing and head-butting my chest area. She had never done anything like this before so it was quite unusual but at the time I thought nothing of it.”
“She kept constantly doing it every day, jumping up at me and really sniffing just my chest area. She was so determined and I couldn’t stop her from doing it at all,” she explained.
Taking notes of Bea’s unusual behaviour, Linda started checking her breast to find any abnormalities, but all in vain. However, the dog’s behaviour continued for eight weeks until one day she felt a lump in one of her breasts.
“I went to the doctors to have it examined and so they analysed it and carried out a mammogram and then confirmed to me that it was a fast-growing form of breast cancer and it had started spreading to my lymph nodes.”
After she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Enya, Bea’s daughter also began behaving like her mother. Talking to The Mirror, Linda said that she’s undergone successful treatment and is extremely grateful for her dogs’ behaviour.
“I had six months of chemotherapy and then had an operation to remove the lump followed by a month of radiotherapy. After the lump had been removed it was analysed which revealed that the chemotherapy had actually killed the cancer cell,” she said.
Linda shared that the dogs stopped behaving strangely after her third chemo session.
“I remembered the moment Bea and Enya had stopped sniffing me and wondered if that had been the exact moment the chemotherapy had been successful at tackling the cancerous cells in the lump.”
She divulged how her doctors were awestruck by her doggo’s strange behaviour and told her to be grateful that the dogs helped her detect the deadly condition in its early stage.
“During one of the appointments with my doctor I explained what Bea and Enya had been doing and the story spread throughout the whole hospital. My doctor was amazed and told me that I should go home and thank my dogs because they had saved my life.”
“As their behaviour had made me keep checking for lumps my cancer was caught in its very first stages which means we were able to successfully tackle it – my doctor even said it was one of the best cases they had ever seen and treated.”
Touched by her dogs’ gesture, Linda said that words can’t describe how grateful she was to both of them. “I truly believe that Bea and Enya detected the cancer way before the lump even fully formed and were just trying their hardest to alert me. Words can’t describe how grateful I am to the both of them – what they have done is just astounding and they really have saved my life. It just goes to show how incredible dogs really are.”
She added that Bea is a former top show dog and had just started training for police duties, like attacking the sleeve, when she first got her but she has had no medical detection training whatsoever.
Well, I reiterate, dogs are the best creatures on this planet, PERIOD.