It Started With a Sniff – Then Things Got Deep Fast!

Dogs have long been known as man’s best friend, but for one woman, her furry companion became something much more—a lifesaver.

In June 2023, Breanna Bortner’s cockapoo, Mochi, began acting strangely. The normally playful pup became fixated on her right breast, sniffing, pawing, and pressing against it. At first, she thought little of it. But then, her sister-in-law’s dog, Gunner, a cockapoo as well, exhibited the same odd behavior.

“I thought it was very odd,” Bortner told DailyMail.com.

Around the same time, Bortner, then 30, had been feeling increasingly fatigued. One day, while scratching a mosquito bite near her breast, she felt a lump. Her mind immediately went to stories she had heard about dogs detecting cancer. The thought unsettled her.

Though she had already planned to get a medical checkup, Mochi’s persistent attention became the final push she needed. Days later, she received devastating news—she had stage 2B triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma, an aggressive form of breast cancer.

“That’s how fast and aggressive this triple-negative breast cancer is. It went from non-feel-able, non-detectable to a physical lump within three months,” she said.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, affecting roughly one in eight in the U.S. If caught early, survival rates are high—between 86% and 89%. However, once the cancer spreads, survival drops to just 31%.

For Bortner, the early warning from Mochi may have saved her life. After her diagnosis, she underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy. Through it all, Mochi remained by her side, sensing her pain and offering silent comfort.

“I was crying all the time and he did not like that. He was very concerned about me. He really turned into my healing buddy. He was a greater purpose for me.”

Scientific studies suggest Bortner’s experience is far from unique. Dogs have an extraordinary sense of smell—10,000 times more powerful than humans—which enables them to detect changes in body chemistry. In 2019, researchers found that dogs could identify cancer in blood samples with 97% accuracy. A 2006 study showed they could differentiate between the breath of women with and without breast cancer with about 90% accuracy. More recent research suggests dogs can even sniff out prostate, ovarian, and thyroid cancers earlier than traditional lab tests.

By spring 2024, with Mochi by her side, Bortner received the news she had been hoping for—she was cancer-free.

“It’s pretty cool to see it come full circle and for him to be there from the time I found the lump all the way through finding out I was cancer-free,” she said.

However, after months of constant companionship, Mochi struggled with separation anxiety once Bortner resumed her normal life.

“He spent so much time with me here. That’s just kind of been the status quo. So now when I leave the house or he’s home alone, he’s been getting into the trash can and showing some behaviors that are quite new.”

To help him adjust, she has enlisted the help of a trainer. Meanwhile, she continues to have scans every three months to monitor her health.

Bortner credits doctors and nurses for guiding her through treatment, but she knows Mochi played an irreplaceable role in her survival. His unwavering attention led her to seek medical care early, and his companionship gave her the strength to fight.

And while dogs may be remarkable at detecting illness, they aren’t the only ones. Some people have even reported wearable tech, like smart rings, detecting changes in body temperature that signaled underlying conditions—including cancer. One woman on TikTok claimed her Oura ring helped her discover lymphoma before she was diagnosed.

As science continues to explore new ways to detect cancer early, stories like Bortner’s serve as a reminder that sometimes, the most advanced detection tool isn’t a machine—but a devoted pet.