A mum who thought her 'unusually affectionate' dog just wanted more cuddles has credited the pooch for saving her life - after discovering a lump in her breast that turned out to be cancer. Tanya Hibberd had been on a two-week holiday to Cyprus with husband Gary, and after returning home noticed that usually independent husky Sapphire was more affectionate than normal.
The persistent pooch, then aged three, staged a four-week cuddle campaign - cuddling up to Tanya and placing her head on and pawing at the exact same spot on her breast. Tanya, then 46, then decided to feel her breast as a precaution and discovered a 'massive gobstopper-sized' lump.
After visiting her GP, Tanya was stunned to be diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer and then underwent gruelling chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. Although the customer service team leader regularly checked for lumps, she credits Sapphire, now six, for saving her life, believing it may have been too late to have treatment if it was spotted any later.
