Bella - Cancer Sniffing Dog

< Susan, Bella and Wilson post surgery "as soon as I was diagnosed, the cancer was exactly where Bella was sniffing, she must have been trying to tell me something" The story about the cancer sniffing dog aired on WTAE, Pittsburgh (see video lower on this page) and was one of the top viewed stories on the Yahoo home page on January 8, 2013. Susan and Bella flew to LA to tape an episode of THE DOCTORS show.

Award winning children's book author/illustrator and breast cancer patient Susan Castriota is fortunate to have a dog with the ability to sniff cancer.

Susan Castriota was recently diagnosed with breast cancer for which she underwent a bi-lateral mastectomy in December 2012. After receiving the news of her illness, Castriota realized that Bella, one of her beloved Havanese dogs, had been paying an inordinate amou

nt of attention to, and sniffing her breast when she would get up in the morning. Castriota has come to learn that dogs have the ability to detect cancer and that some of them have been trained to perform this important task. The Pine Street Institute and other research organizations have confirmed this conclusion through scientific analysis. Susan believes that Bella detected her illness and was attempting to send a message.

Now, more than ever, Castriota deeply believes in the value of a yearly mammogram, without which her cancer would not have been diagnosed in as early a stage as it was. Whatever the cost, inconvenience, and discomfort endured in the process of having a mammogram, they pale in comparison to being told that one has advanced breast cancer. Women—do not for go your yearly mammogram!

Bella is featured in the children's books "Wilson Gets Adopted!, "Wilson Learns Manners!" and "Wilson Won't Be Bullied!" from the series "Willie Wilson's Wondrous Tails" by author and illustrator Susan Castriota.