Heroic dog recovers from cancer

HOBBS, N.M. (KRQE) - An award winning search and rescue dog from New Mexico will be honored several times this weekend.

Sage, a border collie who lives with her owner Diane Whetsel in Hagerman, has served on missions in Washington D.C. after September 11, in New Orleans after Katrina and with the military in Iraq.

She will be honored at a dog show in Hobbs.

Sage actually received the American Kennel Club’s Award for Canine Excellence in December at the AKC National Championships in Long Beach, California.

"The ace award for search and rescue is probably the most prestigious award a search and rescue dog could ever get," Whetsel said.

Last fall, Sage was diagnosed with cancer. Her treatment was funded by donations from fellow New Mexicans.

"We had donations from Santa Fe, Albuquerque, people really came together to get her the treatment she needed and enabled us to take her to the premiere cancer center," Whetsel said.

Doctors removed two forms of cancer from Sage’s chest.

Whetsel said the forms of cancer are not common in dogs, and she believes they may be related to the search and rescue work Sage has done.

“From 9-11 she sniffed a lot of toxins there, Katrina there were a lot of toxins there. And we also searched dump sites out side of Fallujah while we were in Iraq," Whetsel said.

The cancer was found early because all dogs that participated in 9-11 missions are checked every year by a joint mission from the University of Pennsylvania and the American Kennel Club.

Whetsel said the 9-11 mission was a double edged sword because it could have caused the cancer, but without the mission, the cancer may still be growing inside Sage.

The heroic pup is expected to make a full recovery.

“Everything is pretty much back to normal, she plays, she chases the Frisbee, you never know she's lost any part of her lung," Whetsel said.

More information on Sage’s ACE award is available here.