Owner Hopes Therapy Dog Will Be Able To Continue Mission After Losing Leg
BRIGHTON, Colo. (CBS4) - The handler of a Colorado therapy dog is asking for help to get her back on her paws. Allie, a 6-year-old Staffordshire Terrier, lost a leg Thursday to an aggressive form of cancer.
"I was devastated," said Mike Alley, Allie's owner, who lives in Brighton.
Alley's dismay came when he learned that his best friend had osteosarcoma. The bone cancer attacked Allie's hip, requiring amputation of her front right leg.
For four years, Allie has been paying weekly visits to hospitals, care centers, and retirement homes across the Denver metro area, helping to heal and comfort those who need it most.
Among countless other patients and residents, Allie consoled one man in his last hours when no one else was by his side.
"She knew. She just went and put her head on his stomach and laid there. And he put his arm around her when he was completely incoherent. So he knew that she was there," Alley told CBS4's Melissa Garcia.
For others, Allie bolsters their recovery from serious injury.
"These dogs do incredible things for people," Alley said. "They truly heal people."
Now Allie needs some healing of her own. Bouts of chemotherapy and other treatment will follow her expensive operation.
Alley hopes to help Allie get well soon so that she can keep helping others for years to come.
"We're all here for a reason, you know? And I believe her reason is to help people," Alley said. "You get more out of life by giving than taking."
As of 8:15 p.m. Sunday, Allie's family and friends had raised $2,790 of their $11,000 goal on a GoFundMe page.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.
