Vickie Doogan was shocked, as she was fit and healthy (Image: Vickie Doogan/SWNS)
A woman who acquired a dog to help her cope with a second breast cancer diagnosis was left stunned when her beloved pet was struck down by the very same illness and also required a mastectomy. Vickie Doogan, 52, was first diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 39, after discovering a lump in her left arm.
Vickie was left reeling by the news, as she was fit and healthy, but thankfully responded well to chemotherapy and made a strong recovery following her treatment. However, at the age of 44 she received a second diagnosis and underwent a double mastectomy to reduce the likelihood of the cancer returning for a third time.
She welcomed Dolly, a Poochon, into her home to support her during her recuperation, but seven years later, in February 2026, the tables were turned when Dolly was also diagnosed with breast cancer, after Vickie took her to the vet due to stomach pain. The dog had to undergo a canine mastectomy, but thankfully recovered just as swiftly as her owner. The pair are now both cancer-free and Vickie is eager to demonstrate that life can still be lived to the full, despite a cancer diagnosis.
Vickie, a recruiter from Ascot, Berkshire, said: « When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was absolutely floored. I was 39, fit, healthy, and there was no lump in my breast.
« Chemo was brutal, but thankfully I responded well to it. In 2018, when I was diagnosed again, I just couldn’t believe it.
Vickie Doogan with her dog Dolly (Image: Vickie Doogan/SWNS)
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« I found out I have the altered BRCA2 gene, meaning I’m more predisposed to breast cancer, so I had an elective double mastectomy. The surgery was amazing; I had implants put in the next day.
« I got Dolly after my second diagnosis to be my buddy, as I was at home a lot. She’s like my shadow, she’s the most perfect little dog.
« In February 2026, I took Dolly to the vet as she had an upset stomach and they found a lump under one of her nipples. The vet said she needed to have a mastectomy, I was so shocked, I didn’t even know dogs could have mastectomies.
« She bounced back just as well as I did, people said it’s like she’s mirroring how I dealt with it. Now I’m living my best life again, it’s all in my past. I want people to know that although breast cancer is scary, you can still live a really full life. »
Vickie first noticed something was wrong in November 2013, when she became aware of a dull ache beneath her arm. « I was the fittest and healthiest I’d ever been and I was really looking forward to turning 40, » she said.
Vickie Doogan, 52, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 (Image: Vickie Doogan/SWNS)
Initially, she attributed the discomfort to swollen glands beneath her arm, yet upon discovering a lump, her instincts told her it was far more serious. She visited her GP, who referred her to a Breast Care Unit, where a biopsy confirmed she had invasive breast cancer, which had spread to her arm.
The diagnosis left Vickie both shocked and furious, as she had been fit and healthy with no detectable lump on her breast. She was immediately placed on eight rounds of « brutal » chemotherapy, which she fortunately responded well to, before undergoing a lumpectomy to remove the remaining cancer.
Following 15 rounds of radiotherapy and a year and a half of monthly oestrogen blockers, Vickie was overjoyed to be given the all-clear. She threw herself back into life wholeheartedly, yet after her fifth annual mammogram in 2018, she was devastated to learn that the cancer had returned.
Her medical team were taken aback by the recurrence given her age, and subsequent genetic testing revealed that she carries the altered BRCA2 gene, making her significantly more susceptible to breast cancer. « It made perfect sense to me; I was glad to have some reasoning behind it, » Vickie said.
She embarked on another course of chemotherapy and, owing to the genetic mutation, Vickie opted for an elective double mastectomy to reduce the likelihood of the cancer returning. The procedure was a success and Vickie was able to have reconstruction carried out on the same day.
During her recuperation, Vickie decided to get a dog to bring some comfort and calm to her days at home. She welcomed Poochon Dolly in October 2018.
She instantly adored the little dog, but in February 2026, she noticed that Dolly had developed an upset stomach. A visit to the vet led to the discovery of a lump beneath one of her nipples.
Dolly underwent a « doggy mastectomy » to remove the cancer and, fortunately, given its low grade, required no further treatment. Both are now cancer-free.
Vickie features among those affected by breast cancer in Breast Cancer Now’s latest television advertisement. She is lending her support to the charity Breast Cancer Now, as newly released figures show that almost one million people (920,000) are currently living with or beyond a breast cancer diagnosis in the UK, a figure expected to climb to more than 1.4 million by 2050.
The charity has pledged to be ‘Breast Cancer Now until we’re Breast Cancer Never’ – in keeping with its ambitious goal that by 2050, everyone diagnosed with breast cancer will live and live well. Breast Cancer Now’s mission is to press on until a future is achieved where every breast cancer patient lives and lives well. Find out more at breastcancernow.org
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