Senior dog battling cancer gets '5 extra months' of life — what she does with it has us weeping

Fitness and Nutrition Coach Tiffany Wallace’s beloved dog, Layla, battled cancer for eleven months and crossed the Rainbow Bridge on May 8. However, an old video of Layla running alongside Wallace’s daughter in their backyard, enjoying snowfall, has resurfaced on the internet, breaking many hearts. The video shared by Wallace, who goes by @mrs.tiffanywallace on Instagram, has garnered 3.6 million views so far.

It was in June 2024 that Layla was diagnosed with oral cancer. After two successive surgeries and multiple vet visits, her disease showed no improvement. Six months later, doctors suggested Wallace put down her dog, and the family collectively settled on a date for Layla’s euthanasia. However, something just wasn’t didn't feel right for Tiffany. As the date drew closer, her anxiety slowly took over until she was forced to postpone the euthanasia appointment. She wanted Layla to live as many days as she could while also allowing herself a little more time to adjust to this horrific reality. However, no amount of time could be enough to prepare her for the inevitable worst.

The regression of Layla’s cancer had suboptimal chances given her age of 13 years and 8 months. She was a senior dog who lived a happy and loved life with Wallace. After the euthanasia appointment was postponed, Layla celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, and then danced around in the snow. The middle of January 2025 was the luckiest time for her. The vet informed Wallace that her dog’s cancer hadn’t spread any further, which allowed Layla roughly 5 months of extra time to live. To make the most of that little time, Wallace did everything she could. She arranged a professional photoshoot with her dying dog to commemorate their eternal bond. She also celebrated Layla's 14th birthday a week earlier, as she somehow knew her dog wouldn't make it to that day. They celebrated on May 7th, just a day before she died.

Cancer is the most common disease affecting senior dogs. Every one in four senior dogs will develop cancer-related symptoms as their life progresses. Almost half of the dogs reaching the age of 10 will have cancer, according to the research paper titled Dogs as a Model for Cancer, which discussed a 1960s retrospective study that surveyed 2,002 dogs to understand the leading cause of their death. The study found that 45% of dogs at 10 years of age or older and 23% of dogs of all ages died of cancer, making it a leading cause of death among this species. Cancer, the most common reason behind a senior dog’s death, would have never spared Layla, who was 13 when she was diagnosed with the deadly disease.

Layla's death has taken a toll on Wallace’s health. She has been vocal about her agony online, and her heart has not been healed yet. Given the efforts she put into making every last moment worth living for Layla, their connection was too pure to fathom. Thousands of people grieved Layla's death. "Praying for much more time with you all and many more memories," said @amaznbartender909. @the_doggie_days shared her part of the story, "Mom of a now 16-year-old furbaby with cancer (diagnosed a year ago). These pups are fighters, as long as they’re happy, playing & eating, it’s their way of telling us they still fight them."