Gable was rescued from a highly abusive home in New York City by a loving human on September 7, 2001. Having endured cigarette burns on his head and an ingrown collar deeply embedded in his throat, Gable seemed to sense he was safe at last. Four days later, disaster struck NYC, and his human companion lost many friends. Gable sensed her sadness and comforted her “endlessly,” she said. “It was as if fate delivered him to me.”

Through the ensuing years, the ups and downs, and the addition of a canine sister who also had been brutally abused, Gable remained steady. A true family unit had formed.

But in April 2009, as his human rubbed his chest while she pondered the reason why Gable wasn’t able to keep up at the dog park any longer, she felt lumps. A frantic visit to the veterinarian returned a diagnosis of lymphoma. Enveloped in sadness and desperation, Gable’s human brought him to a specialty hospital and decided she would do whatever it took to get him the care he needed. There, she found hope. To pay for his chemotherapy, however, other household bills went unpaid. Then Frankie’s Friends stepped in. Gable’s family qualified for financial assistance from the Zeus Varis Fund.

Done with regular chemotherapy, Gable now receives regular check-ups.

And he remains an example for what early intervention can do for dogs diagnosed with lymphoma.