Help This Brave Mama Beat Cancer

When villagers brought a young street dog to Hand To Paw Foundation’s spay day, they came with good intentions. They had managed to humanely trap her so she could be sterilized — a critical step in preventing more homeless puppies. But when we saw her, everything changed.

Malee is a young, ownerless street dog — and she was suffering. She had a large, bloody, dripping tumor consistent with Transmissible Venereal Tumor (TVT), a contagious cancer spread through mucous membrane contact. It was painful. It was advanced. And it needed urgent treatment.

And yet, even in that condition, her body told another story.

Malee was producing a significant amount of milk. It was clear she was actively nursing a litter of puppies — even though they weren’t with her when she arrived. Spaying her that day was not an option. We declined the procedure, knowing she needed to finish nursing first. Instead, we offered something more urgent: hospitalization and cancer treatment. We also committed to keeping Malee and her puppies together for two weeks so they could slowly and safely wean — giving us time to vaccinate, deworm, and provide flea prevention for the entire family.

While TVT can technically be transmitted through direct mucous membrane contact, including suckling, the risk to nursing puppies is considered extremely low. In fact, we — and many experienced rescuers — have never seen transmission occur this way. Keeping Malee with her babies was not only safer emotionally, but medically reasonable.

Today, her puppies are thriving. They’ve received veterinary care and are now up for adoption — safe, protected, and full of possibility.

And now it’s Malee’s turn.

She will begin chemotherapy this week to treat her cancer. TVT is one of the few cancers in dogs that responds incredibly well to chemo — with a strong success rate when treatment is consistent. Malee has an excellent chance of full recovery. But she needs us to see it through.

As a young street dog with no owner, Malee has no one else to advocate for her. No one else to cover the cost of hospitalization, chemotherapy sessions, medications, diagnostics, and follow-up care. That responsibility falls to us — and to compassionate supporters like you.

Malee has already given everything to her puppies. She endured pain while nursing them. She protected them while battling cancer. She deserves the same devotion in return.

Malee’s story could have ended at a spay clinic with her cancer untreated. Instead, she was given a chance. Please help us make sure that chance turns into a cure. Donate today to support Malee’s chemotherapy and give this brave mama the healthy, pain-free future she deserves.

3/19/26 Update

We’re happy to share a positive update on brave mama Malee and her little family! Since the last update, Malee and all of her puppies have been doing well under the care of Hand To Paw Foundation. The entire family has now been dewormed, vaccinated twice, treated for fleas, and provided with nutritious food to help them grow strong and healthy. Even better news—two of the puppies have already been adopted! Seeing them begin their new lives in loving homes is exactly what we hoped for when we first stepped in to help this little family.

As for Malee, we have been carefully preparing for the next step in her treatment. The plan was to begin chemotherapy right away for her Transmissible Venereal Tumor (TVT), but the transition away from her puppies has been harder than expected. When separated, the puppies cry out for their mom, and it’s clear that the bond between them is still very strong.

Because of this, we’ve made the compassionate decision to give them one more week together before starting Malee’s chemotherapy. During this time, we’ve also completed Malee’s spay surgery and are actively working to find loving homes for the rest of her puppies so they can begin their own happy futures. Malee has already endured so much while caring for her babies, and we want to make sure this transition is as gentle and stress-free as possible for everyone involved.

While two puppies have found homes, the remaining puppies are still looking for families, and Malee’s chemotherapy treatment is about to begin soon. We still need support to cover the cost of her ongoing veterinary care, including chemo treatments, medications, and follow-up visits.

If you’re able, please consider making a donation to help us continue Malee’s treatment and give this devoted mama the healthy future she deserves. Every contribution helps us care for Malee and the animals who rely on us for a second chance.

Thank you for standing with Malee and her puppies. Your compassion is helping rewrite their story.

4/21/26 Update

Malee’s story began with urgency, uncertainty, and a whole lot of courage. Today, we’re able to share the ending we were all hoping for — one that’s quiet, powerful, and deeply meaningful.

After weeks of dedicated care, Malee has officially completed her chemotherapy treatment for Transmissible Venereal Tumor (TVT) — and we are beyond grateful to say that her cancer has been fully treated. This young street mama, who once arrived in pain with an advanced, bleeding tumor while still nursing her babies, fought through every step of treatment with resilience. Because of your support, she received the full course of care she needed: diagnostics, chemotherapy, spay surgery, and recovery.

Her puppies — the ones she protected even while suffering — are now safe. They received full veterinary care, and one by one, they’ve been finding homes and brighter futures. And Malee? She’s ready for her next chapter too.

Malee remains quite shy and still very unsure of people. Life on the streets has taught her to be cautious, and that won’t disappear overnight. But she is safe now. She is no longer in pain. And she carries a small but important symbol of her journey — an ear notch, marking that she has been spayed and cared for. In the coming days, Malee will be returned to her community — the place she knows, now as a healthy, protected dog. She will no longer contribute to the cycle of suffering, and she will no longer carry the burden of untreated disease.

Malee’s life was changed because people chose to act — the villagers who brought her in, and every one of you who supported her care.

Thank you for standing with Malee. You didn’t just save her life — you gave her a future.