We can all agree that senior pups deserve all the love in the world.

Even though they are older and may not have the same energy as they used to, they still manage to fill our lives with love and joy. That’s why it’s so important to do everything we can to give them the best life possible. Unfortunately, many senior pups don’t get this kind of love.

Because not enough people are willing to open their homes to older dogs, many are forced to spend their last days in shelters. Serenity, a Pitbull mix who was in an Arizona shelter, was one of those pups.

It’s Never Too Late

Serenity was 12 years old when she was diagnosed with a mammary mass. Because of her age and health condition, the shelter had no choice but to put her on the euthanasia list.

But when a rescue group in Scottsdale, Love Them All Sanctuary + Rescue, heard about Serenity’s situation, they immediately opened their doors to her.

They were more than happy to provide her with the medical care she needed, as well as a safe and loving home.

The rescue team didn’t waste any time and immediately scheduled surgery to remove the mammary mass. It turned out to be a bleeding melanoma tumor, a serious condition that had been hanging from her fragile body.

Thanks to generous donations from kind-hearted hoomans, the rescue was able to cover all the costs of Serenity’s medical treatments.

They also knew she needed a loving family, so they placed her in a foster home full of care and support.

One Day At A Time

A week after arriving at her foster home, Serenity was happy, but her doctor’s appointment brought some tough news.

Her tumor had returned, and it was malignant.

The vets are still uncertain about what the next chapter of Serenity’s journey will look like, but every single person in her life is dedicating their time to making her days full of love, tasty food, and cozy naps.

At this moment, I’d like to take the opportunity to educate everyone about Mammary tumors.

It’s important to know that this condition is fairly common in pups, especially unspayed females, as it’s one of the more common types of neoplasia.

If you notice that your pup may have a mammary tumor, please remember that only 50% of these tumors are cancerous, while the other 50% are benign.

Not every lump means your dog has cancer—only malignant tumors are associated with mammary cancer.

The most recommended treatment for this condition is surgery. However, as we saw with Serenity, sometimes the tumor may return after surgery. Fortunately, additional surgeries can be performed to help your pup feel healthy and happy again.

So, if you notice something, please don’t panic—just schedule a vet appointment.