Meet Mr. Otis the 10 year old Boston Terrier.
In October of 2017, Otis went to the vet to have a loose tooth pulled. My buddy Steve dropped him off planning on a routine procedure and waiting for a phone call to pick him up. Unfortunately, Steve got a phone call similar to mine several months ago. Otis did have a loose tooth. But it wasn’t from decay or just old age. He had a tumor deep in his mouth almost in his throat. The vet couldn’t see it until he was intubated. There was no way his family could have known. Their vet did what he could by removing a part that blocked his airway and esophagus. He sent it to a lab and had to share the grim news with Steve and Jamie.
Otis was diagnosed with terminal cancer. They said it was aggressive and inoperable. Having just gone through this with Mister Molson only months ago, I felt their pain. Steve and Jamie did everything right as dog parents with routine, diet, supplements and vitamins, and plenty of love. In fact, they rescued Otis from a family that had neglected him for years before posting the diseased, flea-ridden, half-bald, scared, and unloved dog on Craigslist. The previous owners said he just hid behind the couch all day to stay away from the other dogs that had bit part of his ear off. Steve and Jamie nursed him back to health, his hair grew back, he gained weight, and got all the necessary medicine and vaccinations to make him feel better. They gave him 8 more years where he didn’t have to be scared, never went hungry, got regular baths, got regular check-ups, and had a real family.
For three weeks after his diagnosis, they did everything they could to keep him happy and comfortable. He quickly declined and eventually couldn’t eat and had bleeding from his mouth several times a day. On October 24, 2017 they had to show that last act of love and help Mister Otis go in piece.
Steve and Jamie lost their other Boston Terrier named Brindle to cancer only a year ago. Cancer is tearing another family apart.
Steve, Jamie, and Otis supported the Mr. Molson Project and were involved in several of the bucket list adventures. Look closely and you can see Otis towering over the crowd at the wedding.
As dog owners, we know we will likely outlive our pets. We know that one day we will have to say goodbye. It hurts even more when they are younger like Otis.
Cancer Sucks! We have lost countless animals and people to a disease that we have barely made progress on fighting. While we have treatments, we still do not have a cure. I believe this is a fight worth fighting. The stories of dogs like Otis and Molson tear our hearts out because dogs are innocent and don’t understand what is happening to them. But we do. We have no excuse for standing still and accepting it as hopeless. We can do something. We can make fighting cancer a priority. We can raise awareness. We can march. We can donate. We can find a cure.
To help, visit http://www.wearethecure.org/friends/mistermolson
Or support our T-shirt fundraiser at https://www.customink.com/fundraising/the-mister-molson-project
Mr. Molson's Adventures 
So sorry for the loss of Mr. Otis. My sister had to send her cat across The Rainbow Bridge this past Thursday. She had a tumor on her jaw. Cancer is such a cruel disease.
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I think it is more widespread than we want to admit. Unfortunately, it can take an otherwise healthy pet into a downward spiral. It takes too many pets and people too soon.
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Cancer certainly does suck!!! I’ve lost my precious Maltese to it, my Father to it and now, recently, my Mother. I want to thank you, Tim, for all that you are doing!!! Without people like you and all of us coming together with you, cancer wins and more and more of our innocent pets who can’t tell us there is something wrong continue to suffer. Tim, thank you so much for standing up and fighting!
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I’m so sorry it has affected your family as well. But, I think any progress made on animals will also benefit their humans. I lost my grandfather to cancer. So, I can kind of relate to your pain. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. We have made progress on so many diseases. Why can’t we make some meaningful progress on cancer? I believe we can. Thanks so much for your story and support.
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Thanks for rescuing him;
Great story; hug em every day.
All the best. 🙏
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