Mylo has always been the kind of dog who meets the moment, whatever that moment may be.
At nearly seven years old, the Border Collie is both an elite athlete and a gentle soul. At home, he’s calm, affectionate, and deeply intuitive, quick to offer comfort, always ready to curl up beside his family. But step into the world of dog sports, and Mylo transforms. Whether it’s agility, scent work, dock diving, or herding, he gives everything he has. With nearly 250 performance titles to his name, he’s not just talented, he’s all heart.
So when Mylo’s family left for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan, there was every reason to believe he’d be just fine.
At first, it seemed that way.
But while in the care of a trusted pet sitter, who also happens to be an experienced ICU nurse, something subtle changed. Mylo was having trouble urinating. He was still his sweet, stoic self, still offering kisses, but something wasn’t right. The small amounts of urine, the quiet discomfort – it was enough to raise concern.
He was brought to BluePearl Framingham, where the emergency and critical care team quickly discovered the problem: Mylo was unable to urinate.
What followed was a race against time.
Mylo was sedated, and a urinary catheter was placed to relieve the obstruction. He was hospitalized, closely monitored, and supported with IV fluids while the team worked to understand the cause. Imaging revealed a retained testicle that had developed into a rare cancer, along with an enlarged prostate that was putting dangerous pressure on his urinary tract.
Halfway across the world, Mylo’s owner received the news no pet owner ever wants to hear.
“It was gut-wrenching to know my beloved pet was sick while I was so far away,” she shared.
With a significant time difference and thousands of miles between them, she relied entirely on messages, updates, and the steady communication from the BluePearl team. It required immense trust – trust in people she had never even met – caring for a dog she loved deeply.
That trust never wavered.
Under the care of criticalists Dr. DePaula, Dr. McGowan and the hospital team, Mylo continued to stabilize. After further diagnostics, he underwent surgery to remove the cancerous testicle, an essential step not only to treat the tumor, but to relieve the hormonal influence contributing to his condition.
Throughout it all, Mylo remained himself, gentle, patient, and quietly resilient.
And just a few days later, he was already on the road to recovery.
By the time his owner returned home two weeks after surgery, she was met with something incredible – Mylo acting as if nothing had ever happened.
“He already acted like his normal self,” she said. “That made me feel so much better.”
Today, Mylo is back to doing what he loves most. He’s training, competing, and even winning, recently earning top placements in agility and achieving one of the highest titles in nose work. At the same time, he continues to receive ongoing care, with regular rechecks, imaging, and support from both oncology and holistic medicine teams.
His journey isn’t over, but he’s living life fully, unaware of the diagnosis behind him.
Looking back, his owner is certain of one thing – the outcome could have been very different.
“Mylo could have gotten so much sicker, this could have been life-threatening,” she said. “Without the quick action and expertise of the team, his recovery would have been so much harder.”
From the emergency response that stabilized him, to the advanced diagnostics that uncovered a rare condition, to the seamless collaboration across specialties, Mylo’s care was both immediate and deeply coordinated.
But what stands out most isn’t just the medicine, it’s the people.
“Everyone, from the receptionists to the technicians to the doctors, provided excellent communication, care, and compassion,” she shared. “I would recommend BluePearl to any pet owner.”
Even from across an ocean, Mylo was never alone.
And today, he’s exactly where he belongs, by his family’s side, doing what he loves, and still giving 180% to every moment.
