Lexy didn't have a single person look at her.
So I felt I needed to.
She'd been exceptionally overbred.
While it wasn't a health issue,
I think it deterred a lot of people from adopting her.
A lot of the times, dogs in shelters,
you need to spend some time for them
to get used to you and to warm up to you.
But from the very first moment I met her, she was warm.
She was just so loving and so sweet, instantly.
She just -- she just won my heart right away.
Lexy has so much more confidence.
No more hesitation at all when she goes outside,
no hesitation when she meets people.
Every day she's getting into adventures,
or trying something new.
If she sees balloons any time nearby,
she goes a little bit crazy. And she has to jump and get them.
The beach, in the summertime, she's out there
four times a day, swimming in the ocean.
She just absolutely loves it.
I think it's what keeps her young, actually.
One day, sitting at home, I just looked over at Lexy.
I saw a lump on her leg, and I thought, "I need to monitor this."
The next day, it was a little bit larger,
and by the third day, it had actually grown significantly.
So we took her to the vet right away.
And they did a biopsy.
The results came in two days later, and their call to us
was, "It is a soft tissue sarcoma.
It's the type of cancer
that actually gets into the bone,
so you need to come for surgery today."
While Lexy was in for the surgery,
I was very nervous. Because of course, she at the time was 11.
And she had to go fully under anesthetic.
So it was very nerve-wracking, because the older dogs get,
the more difficult that is. So, while they were in there,
they actually found a couple of other cancerous bumps of
melanoma, a different type of cancer, on her belly.
So that resulted in two more operations, actually, that
she needed to have, to get rid of those.
I just had to stay strong in knowing
that I was doing the best thing I could for her,
and that's the thing that really helped me see it through.
Following the surgery, she didn't have as much mobility.
She also became a little bit just ill from
some of the foods. I changed her over to a raw diet.
She gets lots of fresh vegetables and greenery
that has natural antioxidants. While she was doing that, she never
lost her attitude, or her go-getting positiveness.
She was still a friendly and happy-go-lucky dog.
I was inspired to host this party celebrating one year
of Lexy being cancer-free.
All of the people that are here today,
they're all people that knew us, that sent us love,
that helped us in many, many different ways.
And so it's a bringing together of a community, of a process.
And celebrating overcoming obstacles.
-Hi, Lexy!
So, we have a lot of fun planned for today.
I'm really hoping all the dogs and all the humans will enjoy it, too.
I have some special dog beer.
An "Elderbull Ale" and a "Party Princess Ale."
We have a peanut-butter-licking contest.
We also have some goodie bags that were donated
by amazing local people,
it's filled with all kinds of goodies for dog health.
It's an absolutely amazing experience to come here,
and celebrate her journey from such a low to such a high,
and to have so much love surrounded by her.
-Lexy! [CHEERS]
It's not just about the cancer.
But it's also about a senior dog overcoming.
A pit bull, overcoming.
I hope that she had a good day.
Beyond that, I hope that she
can remain healthy for as long as possible.
And even when she can't, that I can be there,
and notice it and do something about it.
and help shepherd her into
all the years that come after this.