Dog refuses to stop sniffing owner’s nose – then she realises she’s trying to warn her
When you show kindness and compassion, you never know just how much impact your every action can have.
For Lauren Gauthier, her general positivity and caring nature ended up saving her life.
She has devoted her entire life to saving abused and neglected dogs; to giving them a second chance that they otherwise wouldn’t have, through Mission Beagle & Hound Rescue.
When Victoria, a one-eyed coonhound, was found abandoned, Lauren knew she had to help.
Of course, she could never have known what that would lead to …
Found abandoned dog at animal shelter
One day, when Lauren was in South Carolina visiting different animal shelters, she found a very special dog. The one that stood out was Victoria, a one-eyed puppy who was abandoned and afraid. The decision came quickly – the wonderful sweet dog would of course be taken home.
“I saw Victoria in a Carolina animal shelter and wanted to go home straight away,” Lauren told PEOPLE.
From the very first time of meeting, Lauren and Victoria have shared a unique bond.
“She senses when I’m upset or stressed,” Lauren says.
Before long, Lauren began to realise that Victoria was acting strange around her. There was a small red spot on Victoria’s nose, and whenever Lauren was with her she would sniff around the area intently.
Life saving dog
After a time, Lauren decided to get the bump checked out by a doctor. When she heard the eventual diagnosis, she couldn’t believe what she was being told.
The small red spot was actually basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. Because Victoria had offered an early warning with her actions, Lauren was able to have surgery to remove the cancer before it had a chance to spread to other areas and become more serious.