Labrador makes school girl with cancer smile and 'forget about losing her hair'
When schoolgirl Lily Bellamy was diagnosed with leukaemia, her parents knew they would do everything it took to support her. But they did not realise just how much of a helping paw they would get from their new dog.
The family from Swansea had adopted black Labrador Beauty just two months earlier, and the devoted pup has been right by Lily's side from the start as she battled the disease and underwent gruelling chemotherapy.
Dad Wayne said: "My wife Joanne and I can find it difficult at times to cope when Lily is on steroids as it's so traumatic for her, but when Beauty walks into the room she can bring Lily back to her normal self.
Dad Wayne says that Beauty can make Lily forget about her traumatic treatment (PA)"It has been a hard 18 to 24 months, but we are getting there. No new leukaemia cells were detected on her last scan."
Lily, now 11, said: "When I was ill, I wasn't able to see any of my friends for 12 months, so she was my best friend throughout my treatment. She always made me happy and put a smile on my face.
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"I can't imagine life without her and I don't know how I would have got through it all without her.
"When I was on medication that made me feel sad and angry, whenever she walked in the room, she always made me happy and forget about the way I was feeling before.
Good girl Beauty has helped to keep the whole family smiling (Collect)
Beauty's hair moulted as Lily's began to fall out with chemotherapy (Collect)"When I was losing hair, she was losing hair too, as she moults so much. I was brushing her and huge clumps of hair would come out. That made me feel better."
Wayne added: "Beauty is the bond that has held us all together as we've gone through this very difficult time as a family.
"Chemotherapy is difficult for anyone to go through but is even more difficult for a child but as soon as Beauty walks into the room, Lily lights up with smiles."
Mum Joanne said: "It was like she was meant to come into our lives. She certainly came along at the right time. She's been amazing."
Pet pic
Hector lost his leg and tail but found a loving adoptive family (Collect)Hector was just six-weeks-old and missing half of his tail and part of his leg when he arrived at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home after being found abandoned in a box.
He was taken in by a foster carer to help him recover. At six-months-old, vets had to amputate the rest of his leg to prevent future issues.
As soon as he recovered, he was put up for adoption and the lucky puss now lives just outside London with his new family.
Story of the week
Brengle after receiving his honorary 'dogtorate' at Teesside University (Teesside University)Golden retriever Brengle has just been given an honorary degree, dubbed a 'dogtorate', for his work as a therapy animal with students at Teesside University.
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Brengle's owner, the university's faith advisor Naomi Campbell, said Brengle's presence helped students open up about challenges they face and their mental health.
Sarah Bishop, an assistant director at the university, added: "He makes a big difference."
Big thanks
The farm cat thankfully survived with the help of the RSPCA (Collect)There was a happy ending for this farm cat who was found with a pipe tightly jammed around his neck.
RSPCA animal rescue officer Hannah Williams, who took the cat to the vet after being alerted by a member of the public, said: "The pipe was so tightly wedged around his neck that it's hard to say how it got there or how long it'd been there."
After an overnight stay, the cat was returned to his home in East Riding of Yorkshire.
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