A dog named Jake had a rough start, but some kind people turned his life around completely.
Last summer in Waco, Texas, a Labrador Retriever was found wandering the streets with a huge tumor on his salivary gland. Texas A&M shared this in a press release. The poor dog was taken in by a local rescue group called Long Way Home Adoptables. They were shocked when they saw him. They mentioned they’d seen some serious medical cases from neglect and abuse before, but never a dog with such a large mass.
They decided to name him “Jake from State Farm,” after the insurance spokesperson. Jake was placed in a foster home where he began treatments for his tumor.
Because his tumor was so big and in a tricky spot, they turned to the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences for help. A CT scan showed that Jake had adenocarcinoma, which is a tumor of the salivary gland.
Dr. Vanna Dickerson, an assistant professor at VMBS, explained that while salivary gland problems are pretty common, cancer in those glands isn’t. In Jake’s case, the tumor was blocking his salivary ducts, causing saliva to build up. She also mentioned it’s rare for the condition to get as bad as it did with Jake.
The tumor was large and close to important body parts, so it was unlikely they could remove it all. But surgeons were able to take out most of the mass to improve his quality of life and likely give him several more years to live.
After the surgery, Jake looked so much better with most of the cancerous mass safely removed. Dr. Dickerson said it was instantly gratifying to see him come off the operating table looking so improved.
The good news didn’t stop there. With Jake’s surgery done, Long Way Home Adoptables started searching for a forever home for him. Now, Jake has been adopted by a loving family!
“Jake is the absolute best boy and really is living his best life,” said his new owner, Josie Brown, who manages a veterinary practice. “He never seems to be in pain and he enjoys being with his people.”
She has been able to manage Jake’s tumor by draining the fluid once a week. Josie added that it didn’t take Jake any time to adjust to life with them; it was like he was meant to be there all along. They are very thankful to Long Way Home Adoptables and Texas A&M for everything they did for Jake.
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Jake’s story has a very happy ending thanks to the team of surgeons and his loving new owner. His story went viral, and even the real “Jake from State Farm” from the commercials reached out, offering to buy him a new bandana, collar, and leash.
Jake looks wonderful now. Thank you to everyone who saved his life by treating his huge tumor! He’s going to be very happy from now on in his loving new home. 
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