Donations pay for CSI dog's cancer surgery

Sunday, June 22, 2008

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Sophie is doing well after surgery to treat urinary tract cancer.

PASCO COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- A K9 dog with a cancerous tumor underwent an expensive laser treatment at a human hospital. Now, those hefty medical bills have been paid because of the generosity of the public.

Sophie, a yellow Labrador retriever, has worked with the non-profit K9 Forensics Recovery Team on several high-profile crimes, like the Jessica Lunsford and Sandra Prince cases. Her team considers her to be so special that they dedicated a section on their Web site to giving updates on her health after she was diagnosed with urinary tract cancer.

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Last month Sophie received radiation laser treatment, a procedure that is normally performed only on humans. Her handler, Troy Fergueson, said the furry detective is doing very well.

After her story aired on Bay News 9 last year, a Tampa viewer gave a cashier's check for $10,000 to Sophie's owner. The check brought the total amount of money raised to $20,000.

Sophie's doctors say her tumor has already been reduced by 40 percent. On July 2, she is due to go back to the doctor for a second round of treatment.

Her health is so good that she is already back at work and training. Fergueson said she was eager to do her job days after the surgery, but she had to wait for doctors to clear her from sick leave. She is already back to work.

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K9 Forensics and Cadaver Recovery Team

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