Gabi's Story
Gabi’s journey began in November 2005, when she was diagnosed with a soft-tissue fibrosarcoma in her upper left muzzle. It was a devastating blow, but her owner, Brian, refused to give up. Over the following weeks, they consulted with specialists across the country—from Purdue University to New York and Ohio. Ultimately, they chose MedVets in Columbus, Ohio, for her surgery and radiation treatments. Brian and Gabi also worked with her day-to-day vet, Dr. Sharon Kunkler at the Stony Creek Animal Clinic, and the Smith Ridge Veterinary Center in New York, where Dr. Alexandra Barrientos crafted a holistic treatment plan to strengthen her immune system with supplements and a specialized diet.
On December 8, Gabi underwent surgery to remove part of her muzzle and the tumor. She bounced back with incredible resilience, her playful spirit returning within days. Later that month, on December 27th, she began an intensive course of 19 radiation treatments, which left her exhausted but undeterred. By January 20th, 2006, she had completed her radiation treatments and was well on the way to recovery.
The months following her radiation were challenging. Gabi developed mouth ulcers and struggled with weight changes. However, under the watchful care of Dr. Barrientos in New York, and Dr. Prescott in Columbus, her condition improved. By July, her energy returned, her white muzzle fur began to grow back, and she showed no signs of tumor regrowth. Brian marveled at her strength and was grateful for the support from her care team.
In September 2006, a bump appeared on her muzzle. Fearing the worst, they rushed to Columbus, but the doctors determined it was likely post-surgical remodeling. Subsequent check-ups confirmed the cancer had not spread, and Gabi continued to thrive. Her holistic care played a pivotal role in her recovery, addressing underlying health issues and strengthening her immune system.
By January 2008, Gabi celebrated two years cancer-free. Her owner credited her recovery to a combination of conventional and holistic treatments, as well as a commitment to providing the best possible care. Gabi’s journey inspired others, and she became a beacon of hope for families dealing with canine cancer. She continued to greet visitors at DogDayz with her characteristic enthusiasm, proving that life after a cancer diagnosis could still be joyful.
The following year brought new challenges. In April 2009, doctors discovered a low-grade tumor near her eye. Surgery successfully removed it, but by August, another tumor appeared near her leg. Once again, early detection and surgery kept the cancer at bay. Despite these setbacks, Gabi remained vibrant, spending her summer at a lakeside campground, making friends and enjoying the outdoors.
Her battle came to an end in May 2009, after 3 ½ years of courage and determination. Gabi’s owner reflected on the time they had shared—time they wouldn’t have had without the dedicated care she received. Though the loss was profound, Gabi’s legacy lived on, not only in the memories of those who loved her but also in the lessons her journey taught about perseverance, hope, and the power of compassionate care.
Gabi's Everlasting Legacy
In February of 2004, DogDayz (the first facility of its kind in the Indy area) was opened by Brian and his family. Brian, the Head Mutt, spent years in sales and never wanted to leave his dog Gabi at any of the existing “kennels” in the Indy area. A place was built, employees were hired, and activities for the dogs were designed and put in place for Gabi and the other dogs in our community. Brian wanted to develop a place where he would leave Gabi and all the other “dog wimps” out there as well.
Even with Gabi’s passing in May of 2009, every service that we provide is based upon what we would do for Gabi. If you would like to read more about Gabi and her 3 ½ year battle with cancer, please click here for the story that inspired other people and vets alike to fight against this horrible disease.
DogDayz was at the forefront of dog care in the Indy area and continues to be to this day. Our open playroom DayCamp lets dogs play all day long. Our training has been recognized by vets around the area for years as the place to bring your dog to be socialized and trained in the proper manner. With over 16 years of professional grooming experience, our grooming services are second to none. The dog boarding services provide top-notch quality of care and an all-inclusive pricing policy that includes walks, playtime, and butt scratches at a single, transparent price.
We do hope you will come in, tour the facility, and speak to the staff to get a better idea of who we are, what we do, and why we do it. We have an open-door policy, so anytime we are open, we are available to give tours.
Thank you to all who have supported us along the way. We truly love each and every one of your dogs and hope we can continue to care for your fur babies.
The Full Story of Gabi's Journey
January, 2006
Many of you have been wondering where Gabi and I have been. On November 4th Gabi was diagnosed with cancer – a soft-tissue fibrosarcoma in her upper left muzzle. As many of you can understand, I was initially devastated. After a few weeks of talking with Purdue, a surgical center here in Indianapolis, a radiologist in Chicago, a holistic doctor in N.Y. and a surgical and radiology center in Columbus, OH I narrowed down the choices for her initial treatments to the MedVets group in Columbus. Gabi also is working with the Smith Ridge Veterinary Center in S. Salem, N.Y. Dr. Alexandra Barrientos has been advising me on Gabi’s health and enhancing her diet with different supplements and medicines. Both groups and doctors have been great through all of this including Gabi’s day-to-day vet, Dr. Sharon Kunkler at the Stony Creek Animal Clinic.
Most of the other doctor’s did not give her much of a prognosis. Dr. Deb Prescott in Columbus gave Gabi a 50% chance of remaining cancer free for three years (which is considered long-term cancer control for dogs) if we followed a protocol of surgery followed by radiation treatments; however she also gave no guarantees on her future, cancer is cancer. On December 8th Gabi had her operation to remove a good portion of her muzzle while attempting to remove the gross tumor. She came through the surgery great and her recovery and attitude after the surgery was awesome. She was even trying to play a couple of days after the surgery.
She then started her radiation treatments on the 27th of December. The treatments were completed on Friday, January 20th. I stayed in Columbus with Gabi during her therapy. She had a total of 19 treatments during the therapy where each treatment required her to be put under to keep her still during the actual radiation part of the treatment. This has taken quite a bit of energy out of her but she still seems to be strong, in good spirits and still has a large appetite although her side effects, including mouth ulcers, have started. The hair has been minimally affected to this point but will show more wear as the next few weeks go by.
I trust you can understand why either of us has been around DogDayz much in the past couple of months. There have been a good number of you that know our situation and have been asking about Gabi’s health – Thank You! I will attempt to put updates on the webpage as news is available. Thank you for your positive thoughts and prayers for my girl. She still has a large battle ahead or her, and can use all of the support she can receive.
July, 2006
Sorry for not putting any update on here for sometime concerning Gabi and her progress. Many things have happened since January, mouth ulcers that required steroids, weight issues among them. She has fought through all of that and is now doing great!
We went back to Columbus, OH last week for Gabi’s 5 month, post-radiation check up and everything looked good. Her weight was down by about 7-8 lbs. since she was there in January. Gabi’s holistic Dr., Dr. Alexandra Barrientos in N.Y., saw her last bloodwork and was very encouraged at what she saw. Gabi did not have a hypothyroid condition, which could have caused her weight gain, but seemed to be very efficient at absorbing the food she has been eating. Along with her whole system recovering I have cut down on the amount of food she is eating which has helped her weight issues out.
Unlike her dad, Gabi’s hair is starting to grow back nicely along her muzzle. It is coming back white so she now has a white muzzle. It may turn black but as of now the hair is white. Dr. Prescott (MedVets, Columbus, OH) asked about how people react to her “physical deformity” caused by the surgery. My response was that people do not notice the portion of her upper jaw that was taken out. I would be willing to bet that most of you reading this would not know Gabi had gone through all of this unless you were told about it. The surgeons did a great job keeping her healthy and looking good.
There is not much else to write at this point. Gabi is doing great. Her weight is down, as of last week there were no signs of regrowth of any tumors and her energy and attitude are awesome. She is a very strong girl. She is working and playing hard everyday.
If unfortunately you or anyone you know has a dog that comes down with cancer, please call me and let me share with you all that I have learned since Gabi came down with this. I went for weeks trying to figure out what to do.
Thanks for all of your thoughts, prayers and notes for my girl.
November, 2006
Gabi wants to thank everyone for their continued support with her recovery and efforts to remain cancer free. She has reached a lot of people with her story and has helped out numerous families with the cancer there puppies have encountered. She hopes to continue to help in anyway she can if your loved one, or anyone you know, is inflicted with this disease.
Gabi remains bright and alert with tons of energy. My girlfriend’s dog, Dakota, and she have been playing hard and keeping each other in shape. Gabi still enjoys and relishes the opportunity to greet everyone when you come in the door.
Last September, I discovered a bump on her muzzle where the cancer had been. It was a few days before she was scheduled to see Dr. Prescott in Columbus for her 8 month post radiation check-up,needless to say, we did not wait those few days to go, we went the next day. Dr. Prescott and Dr. Schertel, Gabi’s surgeon who removed the mass tumor from her, thought it was what they called, remodeling associated with surgery and post radiation effects. The surgery and radiation are continuing to create new “things” inside her, not a bad thing, just something to be aware of. Her latest check up last Wednesday before Thanksgiving showed the bump to be the same size as before. Her latest chest X- Rays showed the cancer has not spread to her body cavity. Her next appt. is in two months which will be the one year anniversary of her last radiation treatment. I am considering that date to be her cancer free point, 1/20/06.
Gabi’s holistic doc in N.Y., Dr. Alex, just ran another blood nutrition analysis and shows her to be in good, stable health with no major problems. She still shows signs of weaknesses in her metabolism and immune system but those do show signs of improvement. The Dr. even informed me that Gabi has some arthritis which I have noticed her moving a little slower since the weather turned colder. I am amazed at what they can do with reading bloodwork and advising on simple supplements and basic nutrition. They are focused on curing the body of illnesses and returning the body to a healthy state rather than just focusing on treating symptoms while disregarding the underlying problem. Gabi is very lucky to have these two doctors along with the loving staff and Dr. Kunkler at the Stony Creek Pet Clinic. Her illness would have had a different outcome to this point without their help and dedication to our pets.
In October I met a group in Chicago at a trade show who is doing fund raising work for animal cancer. They have designed an orange collar similar to Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Foundation but these are dog collars for your dogs. As I discussed Gabi’s story and what we had gone through, they discussed the idea of using Gabi in their publicity releases and advertising. They are a great group and are trying to help out us pet owners when our pets come down with cancer come up with information we can use to help them out along with trying to find a cure for the disease in cooperation with the human cancer clinics. You can find them at http://www.pet4pets.com/ and you can also get the collars at DogDayz.
Gabi hopes to see all of you in the near future, she needs all the petting anyone can hand out. And be sure she will push you to give it if you ignore her while in the lobby. Remember, she runs the joint, we merely take up space in her world.
May, 2007
I just realized it has been about 5 months since there has been an update on Gabi. She has been doing very well….so well, that I forget what she has/is going through with the cancer. She is now almost 16 months past radiation and looking forward to the days ahead.
She has had a couple of more check ups with Dr. Prescott in Columbus, OH, all of them with a good report on her progress. Dr Alex in New York likes what they have seen concerning her bloodwork and her immune system getting stronger. She is due for a new round of blood testing by Dr. Alex so we will know soon how she has done since last falls testing.
The only thing she has going on right now is her allergies. Because of the radiation she now has, what I call, and overactive booger glands in her nose and now with the allergies she does get stuffed up. We now get to share time together picking Gabi’s nose trying to keep it clear. My girlfriend, Erica, claims Gabi now snores louder than me………I have lost my throne.
Continued thanks for all of you that have asked about her health and progress. As always, if you unfortunately find out your pet, or anyone else’s pet that you know, feel free to have them contact me so I can share my experiences and things that I have learned with them.
January, 2008
2 YEARS CANCER FREE!!!!
Gabi and I traveled back to Columbus, OH last week for her two year post-radiation check up. She had her normal exam along with a chest x-ray to confirm the cancer has not spread anywhere else in her body at this point. Dr. Prescott gave her a big thumbs up and a clean bill of health for this visit. We are now scheduled to go back every three months until her three year mark next January which is far enough off we are not thinking about that at this point. There is a lot of playing to be done over the next year to worry about that now.
I have been asked numerous times how she has got this far when her prognosis was so horrible two years ago. Without the initial consultation, surgery, hope and radiation Gabi received from Dr. Prescott, she would not have made it past a couple of months past diagnosis. But without better food, health and an vastly improved immune system she would have never made it to this two year point. This has come from Dr. Alexandra Barrientos (Dr. Alex) from the Smith Ridge Veterinary Center in South Salem, N.Y., Gabi’s “holistic” doctor. Her main associate, Dr. Martin Goldstein, is widely known as an animal health expert who heals and improves the dogs health through natural, and conventional, means. If you are an Oprah viewer you will have seen him numerous times on her show speaking on matters of animal health.
Over the past two years I have witnessed Gabi having no illness when she comes face to face with almost every dog that comes into the facility and spending nearly every day being exposed to other dogs. Before this period, she had numerous incidents of various illnesses. If she had not improved her health and the underlying health issues she had that let her cancer flourish in the first place she would not be here today. This is what Dr. Alex has done through a practice of feeding only the best foods I can find along with a long list of supplements that are not only helping her with her cancer recovery but with her arthritis and thyroid conditions. I have learned a great deal about food and basic health issues with dogs and would love to share that with anyone who would like to find out how to feed your dog the best you can while not breaking the budget. I am available via the phone or e-mail if you would like some advice on your dogs health. If you prefer, feel free to stop in and talk about your questions and concerns.
Thanks again for all of your kind words and prayers for my Gabi. She is the reason DogDayz exists and I would love to keep her around to continue her job of greeting all that walk through her doors.
January, 2009
Gabi Hits the Three Year Mark
It has been an eventful year for Gabi on her way to being a three year cancer survivor. Last April we went to Columbus for her 27 month post-radiation check up and they noticed the lump near her left eye, where the original tumor ended, was getting larger and had a soft lump on top of it. The biopsy came back positive for cancer but in a very low grade form in its early stages.
We then stayed the night and I brought Gabi in early the next morning for surgery which removed the tumor and a decent size area around the tumor. Everything went great and we came back home the evening of her surgery. The hardest part of her recovery was trying to keep her from scratching her staples near her eye which she successfully reached once and pulled the one stitch she had into her eyelid. That gave us another trip back to Columbus to get that taken care of.
We couldn’t do and chemo or radiation again in that area so the after surgery treatments were done by her holistic doc, Dr. Alex, in New York. We upped the supplements she took and changed them around a bit to give her immune system a boost to help fight off this re-occurrence.
Her energy and attitude was great all summer. We spent a lot of time at my travel trailer that was parked at a campground on Lake Monroe for the year. She made lots of new friends, dogs and people, and got to play quite a bit in the water and trails around the area.
In late August I was scratching Gabi back on her right rear leg area when I noticed a lump near her back leg. We went the next day to the Stoney Creek vets and had Dr. Kunkler check it out. Her test came back inconclusive so we scheduled another visit to Columbus fearing the worst.
The next day, in Columbus, the biopsy came back as cancer but, once again, it was caught at the very early stages and was a very low grade tumor. We had surgery the next day where they took a large portion of her tissue around the mass to help control any spreading it might have done. It seemed to be very successful. The mass around the tumor showed no cancer cells so it had not spread to the surrounding areas in her leg which was good. We went home the evening of her surgery.
Her recovery from that surgery was very quick and she was ready to go play the following day after her surgery. Since then we have been going back to Columbus once a month for check ups and they all have come back good. Her latest round of blood work by her holistic doctor showed her to be stable as well.
Thanks again for all o f the support she has received from everyone over the past 3 years. She is the reason why DogDayz was built and continues to do her job of greeting everyone who comes through the doors. She looks forward every morning to coming in, seeing everyone and making all of you give her some scratches. It is her world and we just occupy part of it.
Gabi: 2000-2009
Her 3.5 year battle with cancer comes to an end.
It has been well over a year since Gabi’s last update at her three-year, post-radiation anniversary. Unfortunately, I had to let her go last May 12th after her 3 ½ year battle with cancer. After almost 11 months it hurts tremendously every day not having her around but happy for the extra time I got to spend with her.
After the last update I did everything seemed to be going well. On March 19th of 2009 I was at the Stony Creek Vet’s getting a shot of one of her supplements when I noticed a small lump near the front of her muzzle. The tech looked and felt it and said that we should go to MedVets in Columbus, OH to check it out.
The next day Dr. Prescott (Gabi’s oncologist) and Dr. Schertel (her surgeon) examined her and decided to biopsy the mass the next day. That day we went in early and got her into surgery to get a sample of the tumor. After the surgery Dr. Schertel stated that he did get a sample but was worried about the tissue around this mass due to it acting abnormally compared to normal tissue. Definition = not a very good prognosis.
A couple of days later it was confirmed as a high-grade, aggressive fibrosarcoma, exactly what she was diagnosed with at the start of this journey. Needless to say, I fell apart and tried to find something to help her through this battle like she has done before. Dr. Prescott and Dr. Alex (Gabi’s holistic doctor in NY) did not have many answers at this point. We did start her on some new aggressive supplements and waited to see how this tumor would grow and how fast. Looking back, there was really no hope to help her manage this latest tumor re-growth.
A few days later I received an e-mail from someone who knew Gabi’s tumor had come back. She noticed an online article on a new, promising cancer drug that was being tested on a few dogs and had actually cured a couple of dogs completely from their cancer. I tracked down the doctor who invented the compound and e-mailed him to see if I could get Gabi enrolled in the study. Within hours he returned my e-mail with an application to sign Gabi up to the study.
While on the way top Columbus on April 1st to get a c-scan for the study, I received a call saying the clinic was halting the study due to legal reasons. The inventor had recently left the Cleveland Clinic where he worked on this study and other cancer fighting agents. The clinic was the one who had the rights to do the study and produce the drug.
Myself, and a few other people who were working on getting our dogs on this study, then went to the clinic to see if we could get our pups on the study. The clinic was so overwhelmed that they stopped the study and production of the drug to study the legality of the study and using animals for it. With Gabi suffering everyday and her tumor growing I went into a panic and tried numerous ways to get the Cleveland Clinic to restart the study and production immediately.
We went to the clinic’s PR department and told them how we would generate a tremendous amount of negative publicity. After almost two weeks of harassing the clinic they decided to open it up for a limited number of dogs. Gabi was one of those chosen to receive the drug. I was ecstatic about this and thought she might have a chance to beat this latest round or growth.
On April 17th she finally received the drug, and we started giving her shots twice a day with the drug. After a couple of days I thought I saw some difference, but it was more growth not shrinkage. I still was holding out hope that it would work.
After another week or so we went back over to Columbus for a check up with the docs. We discussed surgical options for her. Could we take out a large chunk of the tumor and surrounding tissue to help the drug work? Was there anything her could do for her? After begging him that something be done, he stated the only humane option he could see was a muzllectomy, basically cutting off ½ of her muzzle.
After hearing that was the only option I punched the counter and broke my hand….freaking Gabi out. I think this was when I realized she did not have a chance to win this round.
We then went home, continuing her trial drug and supplements, hoping that something might help. Nothing did anything for her.
She did ok for the next week or two and then started having trouble breathing, especially at night while she tried to sleep. The pressure from the tumor was not letting her breathe properly. After spending two almost sleepless nights by me hearing her struggle to catch her breath, I decided I could not let her suffocate herself in the middle of the night. She deserved so much more than to go like that.
On the morning of May 12th I called Dr. Prescott and talked over Gabi and what I was planning on doing that day. She stated she had come to that conclusion weeks ago, and she was about ready to have the talk with me. We cried together for awhile and then I called Dr. Kunkler to see if she could come to our home to let Gabi go. She was over within an hour or so.
This was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but this had to be done for her not to suffer any longer. At her first diagnosis she was given less than 6 months to live but managed to kick cancer’s ass for 3.5 years. She was not only the reason DogDayz was built but was my best friend. Over 11 months I cannot think of a day I have not broken down thinking about her and how much she meant to me. I can only imagine how I would feel now if I had not tried all the things we did to keep her alive over that time. I would double down right now on all the money that was spent treating her if I could have another week with her.
Many thanks to all who kept Gabi in their thoughts over that time period. I do know that her fight and story convinced many others to seek treatment for cancer and be successful in their fight. Without the help from MedVets in Columbus and Dr. Alex at the Earth Angels Vet in New York, she never would have gotten past that six-month mark.
Not only was she my girl but a fighter who showed others that cancer is not the killer it once was. There are options out there. Gabi proves this to be true.
RIP Gabi, thank you for what you have done for me.