Woman decided against treatment for her ‘full-of-life’ dog with aggressive cancer — and her heartfelt reason is bringing people to tears
A woman learned that her dog was diagnosed with aggressive cancer, but was not convinced about further medical care. Maddie (@myboyrudder), a dog owner, decided not to pursue her dog's cancer treatment any longer. The reason might raise concerns, but she said it was in favor of Rudder, her dog. Maddie expressed why she had to make the hard decision in her video, posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. So far, the video has received over 538K views on TikTok.
Maddie confessed that her decision not to continue with Rudder's treatment didn't come easily to her. "While this is not where I had originally expected to land, I feel 100% confident this is the right decision for both Rudder and me [sic]," she said. The owner said that she respected dogs enough to know that they don't understand the "realm of possibility" and love living small moments of joy. "From the start, I have known no treatment would be curative. Every option would be palliative, and unfortunately, with his pathology results, that is especially true," Maddie added.
Rudder was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer with vascular invasion, which means it had spread to the bloodstream. Fortunately, his cancer was of a particular type that won't cause a slow decline in health. So, Maddie had two options: let him live his life to the fullest or risk inflicting harm. She chose the first option and doesn't regret it at all. "It just wouldn't feel right to rob him of joy without being able to explain why for the chance of a bit more time. I don't care about the [sic] length of time; I care about the [sic] quality of time," Maddie confessed. Now, she spends as much time as possible with her "full-of-life" dog doing things they love the most.
In a similar story, a dog with terminal cancer ticked off every bucket list adventure before starting the chemotherapy. Lita, the dog, was diagnosed with terminal lymphoma and was set to begin chemotherapy. Her owner knew how physically draining the treatment would be, so she wanted Lita to make some heartfelt memories before it. The dog owner collaborated with Albert’s Dog Lounge, an elder dog rescue, and Czar’s Promise, an organization for elder dog events, to plan the day. From shopping, where Lita bought everything she wanted, to relishing a cup of "Puppuccino," watching fireworks, to a quick trip to the beach, followed by a convertible car ride, and finally a plane ride.
People loved Maddie's decision not to put Rudder through the cancer treatment. Many also recounted their own experiences. For instance, @houndsofmorado commented, "I lost two to cancer this year…I didn’t put them through cancer treatments. I just kept them happy and comfy until it was time to say goodbye." @thecoachphilipp recounted, "I made the same decision...impossible choice. Logically, I am confident I chose the most humane option." @nashandkash said, "While it’s the hard choice, Rudder living out the rest of his life with all the love and care you give him will be the best life a dog can dream of."
You can follow @myboyrudder on TikTok for more dog-related content.