Celebrating canine companions on Bring Your Dog To Work Day

25 June 2021 | Supporters

We know of many people who have faced the traumatic impact of brain tumour diagnosis and treatment and have found huge physical and mental benefits through the love and companionship of a dog.

So today, on National Bring Your Dog To Work Day, we’re celebrating the awesome value of our canine companions, and we’re delighted to share the special story of Dan and Bella.

Dan has been through three brain tumour surgeries and two programs of radiotherapy treatment to combat an ependymoma brain tumour which was originally diagnosed when he was in his second year of university in 2010.

The physical and psychological impact of his experience hit particularly hard in 2018 following his third surgery, and it was then that he and his girlfriend, now wife, Sonia decided to adopt a Shih Tzu rescue dog called Bella. Sonia says “She has become his constant companion. She gave him life again by forcing him to take her for walks and get some fresh air and she added structure into his life, helping him remember things around Bella’s schedule.”

Dan describes the big difference this little dog has made, “Bella is the quietest, kindest and most peaceful dog you can meet. I rehoused her from a broken home, she came to me shy and quite timid. Whilst I was having radiotherapy she would wait for me and greet me with love and affection. Better still she would sleep when I slept, be awake when I was awake. She was my constant, my company, and often my carer.”

At this time Dan was living in London and working at Westminster as a parliamentary researcher for Mike Wood MP. After extensive conversations with Dan’s neurosurgery and oncology teams, his Macmillan nurse and multiple charities, evidence was put together to agree that Dan’s rehabilitation into normal working life would be made easier with Bella. After a long and thorough process, Dan was given special dispensation to bring Bella in to work with him in the House of Commons as part of his back-to-work journey and to then help him while at work.

Bella even became well known in her own right at Westminster, in 2019 coming second in the Kennel Club’s annual ‘Westminster Dog of the Year’. So from her own tough start in life, Bella has helped Dan through some dark and difficult times and shown the unique value of the bond between dog and man.

Read Dan’s story

If you have been helped through your own brain tumour journey by the companionship of a dog or other pet we’d love to hear your story too.  Share your story.

Share your story

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