Cancer-Free Dog Celebrated With Anniversary 'Pawty' At Humane Society

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego Humane Society hosted a "pawty" Friday for a former stray dog who has been cancer-free for one year.

The celebration was held at the Pilar & Chuck Bahde Center for Shelter Medicine and included a peanut butter cake, hats, cheers, and lots of hugs and kisses for Phoenix, a 4-year-old Saint Bernard and German shepherd mix, according to the Humane Society.

Phoenix was malnourished, flea-infested and had missing fur when he arrived at the Humane Society on Nov. 5, 2020. The veterinary team diagnosed him with a malignant and cancerous transmissible venereal tumor.

"While the condition is serious when left untreated, veterinarians determined Phoenix's prognosis would be good with vincristine chemotherapy," Humane Society officials said.

By January, 2021, Phoenix had received 13 treatments. Most of his masses had decreased in size, but two remained, according to the Humane Society. The team decided to look for an alternative while continuing Phoenix's treatments and turned to an oncologist for consultation.

Dr. Colleen Tansey from VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital offered to provide electrochemotherapy for Phoenix. She commuted twice to San Diego on her days off to treat Phoenix at no additional cost to the Humane Society.

"Sometimes it truly takes a village to help the animals and that's exactly what happened in Phoenix's case," said Danielle Clem, hospital director at the Humane Society's San Diego campus. "Not only did we have an expert come from Los Angeles to help us, we had an incredible foster family who made sure Phoenix was comfortable in between treatments and the entire medical team at San Diego Humane Society involved in his care."

Phoenix "is near and dear to the hearts of many staff at San Diego Humane Society," Humane Society officials said. He was adopted by Colette Troughton, a veterinary assistant at the Humane Society.

"Phoenix is a big dog with an even bigger personality," Troughton said. "He inspires me to see the good in everyone and I feel so lucky to get to spend my days with him. I am forever grateful for all the caretakers that showered him with love and made his recovery possible."