'I thought dog was just being weird but she was trying to tell me I had cancer'
An intuitive rescue dog saved its owner after 'sniffing out' her breast cancer.
Jack Russell-chihuahua cross Holly was adopted by Claire Churchill after she was dumped on the door step of a shelter the day before Boxing Day in 2019.
A few months later, Claire, 36, was diagnosed with cancer.
She had a lump in her left breast which was discovered by Holly who had been "scratching" at its location and crying.
Claire said she initially thought her dog was "just weird", and seemed to have a fascination with her cancerous breast from the moment she brought her home.
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It got to the point where the clever pet was "really distressed" so her owner felt around before making the worrying discovery.
That was August 2020, but with it being during the Covid pandemic the NHS backlog meant Claire couldn't be seen by her doctor until that October.
Claire underwent a mastectomy in December last year and had chemotherapy and radiotherapy (Claire Churchill)"By that time it was the size of an orange and you could see it through my bra and top," she told YorkshireLive.
Describing Holly's intuitive behaviour, she said: "When I first got her, I thought she was just weird.
"She would always stuff her nose down my top...As she got bigger towards the summer of 2020, she started pawing at my boob - only my left - and started scratching.
"She used to fall asleep on my left breast, not the other. It was going on and on and on.
Holly became 'really distressed' before Claire finally found the lump (Claire Churchill)Before finally clocking what she was trying to tell her, Claire said Holly was "almost crying and murmuring" and "wouldn't leave" her left breast alone.
She said: "I thought 'what are you doing?' I thought I had some crisps or a biscuit down there. I started feeling around down there and thought I could feel a lump. I thought 'it doesn't feel very good...'
"I wouldn't have checked myself...She [Holly] was really distressed about it [the lump]. I called the doctors - it was the middle of lockdown - and because of the backlog and delays they couldn't check it until October 2020.
Claire has been told she's a carrier of the brca gene and will have to undergo another mastectomy and hysterectomy (Claire Churchill)"By that time it was the size of an orange and you could see it through my bra and top."
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Claire was diagnosed with breast cancer in November that year. She underwent a mastectomy in December last year and had chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
She said: "All of 2021 I had my treatment - it took a good year. It was Covid so I was all on my own and wasn't allowed anyone to sit with me.
"2022 was me getting my life back together. They removed all of the cancer from my breast. It spread to my lymph nodes and I had to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy."
It has now been said that there is no evidence of disease but Claire has been told she's a carrier of the brca gene and will have to undergo another mastectomy and hysterectomy.
Speaking about her diagnosis in 2020, Claire said: "In the Doomsday book of life we were at 11.59pm. The biggest tumour was 7.8cm. I was in my early 30s and wasn't looking for it. If it wasn't for Holly, I wouldn't have known and would have died."
Claire said she "never checked herself" prior to Holly finding her lump as she thought "breast cancer happened to women in their 60s and 70s, not early 30s".
She said that she told the doctor about Holly and they said they had heard "a few stories of dogs detecting cancer".
Claire added: "As soon as I had my mastectomy she [Holly] left me alone.
"She's never done it again since then and it's like she's satisfied and happy it has gone.
"Through my treatment she could tell when I had chemotherapy and she wouldn't leave me alone.
"She's three now and is my little angel. I don't know what I'd do without her.
"She's just a normal dog now and she's suffered a bit during my treatment because I couldn't always take her out for walks every day but now we go out walking every day. She's brilliant."
Claire says she is now looking forward to her future with Holly and added: "I'm so grateful and thankful to her and she's a rescue - she hasn't been trained to do this, she just knew.
"If you can please get a rescue dog. Not only are you saving their lives but they can save yours."
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