When we show kindness and compassion, we never know exactly what impact these actions can have. For Lauren Gauthier, her positivity and caring nature ultimately saved her life. She dedicated her whole life to saving mistreated and neglected dogs, through Mission Beagle & Hound Rescue.
When Lauren met Victoria, a one-eyed coonhound, she knew she had to help.
From the moment they met, Lauren and Victoria shared a special bond. “She feels when I’m upset or stressed,” says Lauren.
One day, Lauren noticed that Victoria was acting strange around her. There was a little red spot on her nose, and whenever Victoria was with her, she sniffed the area with intent.
Then the woman decided to get the check from a doctor. The small red spot was actually a basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. As Victoria had offered early warning with her actions, Lauren was able to have surgery to remove the cancer.
“It’s really amazing that my dog was so persistent in sniffing the area that it was skin cancer.”, says Lauren. “Hounds have a keen sense of smell but I never thought that I would personally benefit from it!”
Lauren believes that this was Victoria’s way of repaying the favor, after being rescued from the streets. In addition, Lauren believes that her cancer resulted from her use of sun beds. She is now warning others about the dangers.
“My advice for teenagers and others considering tanning bed use is – don’t. There are many other options available, like spray tans, to help improve cosmetic appearance. The cost and the damage you do to your skin is way too high, and even though growing older seems a world away, once you are older, you will pay a price for tans and tanning beds. ”
Luckily, today Lauren is healthy and she has recovered quickly! Even though she always has a scar on her nose, she knows the situation could have been much darker. Victoria is also very happy and knows that Lauren will always be there for her thanks to her heroic efforts.
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