Hero dog 'Ceto' sniffs out breast and colon cancer, saves couple's life

Dogs are our best pals, and also one of the most sensible beings. They have a knack for sensing things we miss, be it a subtle change in mood, an incoming storm, or even hidden dangers in our bodies. Stories of pets alerting owners about health scares pop up time and again, turning loyal companions into unexpected heroes.


One such incident that proves animal intelligence took place in a California home where one couple found their Labrador mix behaving oddly, leading to life-changing discoveries.

Ceto's strange behaviour alerts the family

Chase Johnson, 36, and Ben Byrn, 48, from California credit their Labrador retriever mix, Ceto, for possibly saving their lives. The dog started acting unusually towards
both before their cancer diagnoses, as reported by NeedToKnow.


Ben was first. Ceto showed anxiety around him, which later tied to his colon cancer. Chase noted, "Previously, Ceto had alerted Ben to the fact that he had cancer," per the NeedToKnow article. When the behavior repeated in January 2021, they suspected trouble again.

Chase's breast cancer discovery

Chase saw Ceto get 'anxious' and 'whimpering' around her. "Ceto is a pretty calm dog; he never gets anxious and is always pretty chill," she said.


"A couple of weeks before I found the lump, he followed me around the house, would pace the room, whimpering and became really anxious." Then, "he got so worked up one day and poked his nose to my breast." Said Chase.


The nudge hurt, leading her to find a lump, triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive type needing chemo, radiation, lumpectomy, and lymph node removal. "If he had not done that, I would not have found it," Chase admitted. Her oncologist warned delay could have been fatal.
Ther couple recognised the dog’s pattern.


With Ben's prior alert fresh, Chase connected the dots. "We were trying to figure out what was going on... So when he started feeling anxious again, we knew he was warning one of us, and my husband just had a clear scan, so we knew it was me," she shared. Ceto's bond with Chase ran deep, "Ceto had always been my little shadow; we are very much bonded together."

Science behind canine detection

Dogs' noses detect cancer via scents in breath, urine, or skin, volatile compounds from tumors. Studies from PLOS and PMC show high accuracy, one found 83.9% sensitivity for lung cancer via breath. Others confirm viability for breast, colon, and more.