A woman has told how a dog she rescued repaid her by saving her life. Jack Russell-chihuahua cross Holly was dumped on Christmas Day 2019.
A day later, on Boxing Day, Claire Churchill took her under her wing, giving her a new home and a new life. But little did she know that her act of kindness was going to not only change Holly's life but it would save hers.
The 36-year-old told Yorkshire Live how she discovered a lump in her breast after Holly started pawing and crying at it. And after getting it checked out she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She underwent a mastectomy and despite knowing she faces further surgery she is looking forward to life with her faithful "angel". Claire 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."
It was in the August of 2020 that 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. By that time it was the size of an orange and you could see it through my bra and top."
Claire was diagnosed with breast cancer in November that year. She then underwent a mastectomy the following month and had chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Her treatment was carried out throughout 2021 and because the country was still under Covid-19 restrictions it meant she was left on her own and wasn't allowed anyone to sit with her.
She said the following year was "me getting my life back together". She said: "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" before Holly discovered the lump as she thought "breast cancer happened to women in their 60s and 70s, not early 30s". She said when she told the doctor about Holly 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."
