BUFFALO, N.Y. -- An Amherst woman says her rescue dog helped spot skin cancer on her nose.
And now, as the weather gets nicer, she has advice for everyone before they go out in the sun.
Lauren Gauthier is the founder of a local beagle and hound rescue. She rescued Victoria, 2, a Treeing Walker Coonhound from a shelter in South Carolina about a year-and-a-half ago. At first, Lauren and her husband were just fostering Victoria.
"She was just such a sweet, loving, affectionate dog, and so grateful to have a family and so devoted to us that we just couldn't say goodbye to her," Gauthier said.
About a year ago, Gauthier noticed a small spot, what she thought was a pimple, on the right side of her nose.
"About a month or two after I noticed it, Victoria started to smell my nose in that exact area quite frequently," Gauthier said.
Gauthier saw a doctor, who took a biopsy, and diagnosed her with skin cancer.
"I'm doing great. I had surgery in November to have the cancer removed, and I still have some scarring, but it's healing nicely," she said.
Now, Gauthier credits Victoria with helping to save her life.
"I would really urge people, first of all, to stay out of tanning beds. I used to frequent those when I was a teenager, and also, to wear sunscreen," Gauthier said.
And, she says if your pet notices something strange, do something about it.
"Pets are more connected to us than we often give them credit for. And so, if it seems that your pet, your cat, or your dog is focusing on a certain area of your body, or smelling your breath or something frequently, it might be something to go and ask your doctor about because you never know what they might be sensing that we're not able to," Gauthier said.