Alveus Sanctuary has confirmed that Awa, its 13-year-old wolfdog, has an aggressive cancerous mass on the side of her neck that has already spread to her lungs.
The tumor is believed to be a salivary carcinoma. Staff say it’s effectively inoperable, and Awa’s prognosis is extremely poor. According to a video update from the sanctuary, her remaining time may be measured in days or weeks.
Alveus has started her on palliative oral chemotherapy. It isn’t expected to cure anything. The goal is to slow the tumor’s growth and keep her comfortable for as long as that’s possible.
The mass sat on the side of Awa’s neck, hidden by her thick ruff, and was only clearly visible from certain elevated live cam angles. Within roughly a week, it went from barely noticeable to conspicuously large.
Once staff spotted the problem, Awa was sedated and taken to a specialist vet equipped to handle a wolfdog. Imaging showed a large, fast-growing neck tumor and lung masses consistent with metastatic spread.
That spread is what closed the door on a cure. Even a clean removal of the primary mass wouldn’t have addressed disease that has already traveled.
Three options on the table
Alveus said the team discussed surgery, oral chemotherapy, or immediate euthanasia.
Surgery was ruled out as too risky and unlikely to help. The neck is packed with structures tied to breathing, swallowing, blood flow, and nerve function, and cutting cleanly around a tumor there is difficult at the best of times. Awa is also geriatric.
Immediate euthanasia was genuinely considered. Staff decided against it because Awa is currently doing well. She was described as largely asymptomatic, with no obvious signs of severe pain, and caregivers were able to touch the mass before her vet visit without her pulling away.
The chemotherapy will be judged on comfort, not survival time. If it causes serious side effects, Alveus says it will be stopped rather than continued to buy extra days.
Staff will track her appetite, swallowing, breathing, mobility, engagement with her keepers, and any signs of pain or distress. Once an acceptable quality of life can no longer be maintained, a vet will euthanize her at the sanctuary rather than at a clinic, using the voluntary sedation behavior she’s been trained to accept. That means no capture, no transport, and familiar people around her.
Akela needs a friend
Awa currently shares her space with fellow wolfdog Akela. Wolfdogs are highly social, and Alveus has already started thinking about a future companion for him.
That will take time. The sanctuary has one wolfdog enclosure, and any new arrival would need the right temperament, health checks, quarantine, and a slow introduction. Compatibility is never guaranteed.
Alveus says the extra time from palliative care may help with that planning, but it’s a secondary factor. The deciding question remains whether Awa is comfortable.
