“We went to see him and we knew instantly,” said Angela. “We took him home that day and came up with the name Bowser. He’s been a huge part of our family ever since.”

Bowser has grown into a huge and lovable companion for the quickly expanding Mozer family. Despite his massive size, Bowser is remarkably gentle and kind, which is exemplified by the special relationship he has with the three Mozer family children who range from 4-years-old to 4-months-old.

“He’s super sweet and polite even though he’s so big,” said Angela. “He’s amazing with the kids and is incredibly careful with the little ones. He’s an awesome family dog and we love him to death.”

There’s more to Bowser’s personality than his well-mannered antics. In fact, despite his enormous frame, Bowser is astonishingly athletic and absolutely loves playing Frisbee catch. He’s also a social butterfly and has been labeled as a local celebrity by the doggy day care center that he attends twice a week.

“Everyone at his daycare knows who Bowser is,” said Angela. “He makes an impression on everyone he meets. When everything happened with his health, he definitely had a big team of people rooting for him.”

Last year, Bowser’s joyful life came to a complete stand still when he was diagnosed with Rectal Lymphoma. Bowser’s battle with cancer began when Angela noticed Bowser having trouble going to the bathroom. Upon closer examination, she noticed blood in his stool and what looked like swelling on Bowser’s bottom. Unsure of what Bowser was suffering from, Angela wasted no time and rushed him to the emergency veterinary hospital. Once at the hospital, the staff ran multiple tests to determine what had caused the episode. The results that came back were devastating.

“They told us that Bowser had a large tumor and was suffering from Lymphoma,” said Angela. “I was in total shock. He had been his happy normal self up until that day and he was so young. There was no way we were going to give up on him so we started treatments right away.”

The veterinary staff immediately scheduled Bowser for surgery, and the next day his tumor was removed. However, surgery was only the beginning of Bowser’s fight. For more than four months, Bowser received chemotherapy treatments through intravenous fluids and orally.

Last February, after months of fighting and continuous treatment, Bowser was officially listed as in remission. Since that fateful day, Bowser has passed all of his regular check-ups and remained cancer free.

“Bowser had a long battle, but everyone involved made the whole process a success,” said Angela. “The veterinary staff was so sweet and really cared about Bowser. They made us feel comfortable and gave us hope.”

Today, Bowser has returned to his role as the big furry brother to his human siblings and is back to enjoying his friends at doggy day care. Angela and the family couldn’t be happier to have Bowser back to his normal self and are grateful for all the support they received.

“Life definitely wouldn’t be the same without Bowser,” said Angela. “I’m so glad that we had Bowser insured by Nationwide beforehand. Having pet insurance allowed us to provide the best cancer treatments available without worrying about the costs. Nationwide was the right choice for us.”

You can help support pets like Bowser throughout November during National Pet Cancer Awareness Month by sharing this story with the #CurePetCancer. During the Month of November, Nationwide will donate $5 to the Animal Cancer Foundation for every picture, story or post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #CurePetCancer. Visit http://www.curepetcancer.com to find out how you can raise awareness and $50k for cancer research.

“I asked what kind of puppy she was, but instead of answering, the employee brought her out to for us to meet,” said Jennifer. “Apparently she was a stray that the store had brought in to find a home for. There was an instant connection and for some reason I said ‘she looks like a Sadie.’ Just like that, we put her in the car and she became part of my life.”

Since that fateful day, Jennifer and Sadie have embarked on a long journey together, which has featured major changes in both of their lives. Jennifer has since re-married, made significant career alterations, and moved homes. The one constant in her life has always been her faithful fur-ball, Sadie.

“For a long time it was just her and me,” said Jennifer. “She’s really the ultimate companion. No matter where my life has taken me, Sadie has always been by my side. Our life is amazing now and Sadie couldn’t be more loved by her new family. She’s got my husband wrapped around her paw, and she was even in our wedding!”

Sadie is loved by many people, including the staff at Happy Hounds Dog Day Care and Lodging. The lovable mutt has been going to the same doggy daycare center every Monday through Friday for nearly 10 years and has become a fixture in the staff’s day-to -day lives. Sadie has appeared in numerous calendars and newsletters for the organization and was even included in a memorial picture for the company’s recently deceased founder.

“Sadie’s daycare is an extension of our family,” said Jennifer. “They’ve meant so much to us over the years and I know how much Sadie means to them. They call her their little diva because she’s so sassy.”

One day, the daycare staff dealt with much more than Sadie’s selective hearing when they noticed blood in her urine. The staff immediately contacted Jennifer and explained what they had found. Jennifer picked Sadie up and went straight to the veterinarian. The team ran preliminary tests, and diagnosed Sadie with a Urinary Tract Infection and sent the duo home with medication. However, the medication proved unresponsive and Sadie continued to spot.  Jennifer continued to monitor the situation hoping for an improvement, until Sadie had an odd incident.

“We weren’t sure if the medication had taken affect yet so we were giving it time,” said Jennifer. “I was loading her up in the car for daycare one morning and she just kind of collapsed. She caught herself mid fall and started to freak out. I knew something was wrong so I rushed her to the emergency veterinary hospital.”

Once at the emergency hospital, the staff ran initial tests and recommended that Sadie be seen by one of their staff specialists.  The specialist took further X-rays and the results brought forth devastating news. Sadie had a tumor on her bladder.

“I was shocked by the news,” said Jennifer. “He told us that she only had a few months to live and it left me in tears. I didn’t want to give up on her that quickly so I decided to get a second opinion.”

Jennifer decided to take Sadie to the Animal Cancer and Imaging Center in Michigan to find out what types of treatments were available to Sadie had. The staff ran further tests and set forth a plan of attack. A few weeks into her initial treatment Sadie seemed to be doing better, until Jennifer got another call from the daycare center. The staff explained that Sadie was bleeding again and this time was worse than before.

“I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the end,” said Jennifer. “I’d never want her to suffer, but she was still enjoying life so I knew we had to keep fighting. I consulted the team at the cancer center and they recommended that I take her to the Michigan State University Veterinary Medical Center, because of their advanced equipment.”

With that recommendation, Jennifer and Sadie dressed in Spartan green and headed to the campus fueled by hope. Sadie underwent advanced screenings that were able to pinpoint the exact area of her tumor, which was located in a difficult area. After receiving the results of the extensive tests the staff gave their recommendations to the team at the Animal Cancer and Imaging Center, and Sadie immediately started on a new chemotherapy program. The vigorous treatment schedule included intravenous chemo treatments followed by antibiotics, prescriptions for pain and stomach medications. However, the concoction of treatments has worked. Sadie’s tumor is stable and while she may never be completely cancer free, she is now blessed with the opportunity to finish her final years in happiness.

As of today, Sadie is still fighting and has progressed to an easier form of oral based chemotherapy and is reacting well. Jennifer and the whole family recently celebrated Sadie’s 13th birthday and surprised her with a large puppy cake. Sadie hasn’t lost a step and still yearns to play with her friends at the day care center and never misses an opportunity to cease a treat.

“You’d never know that she’s battling cancer,” said Jennifer. “Everyone has been so amazing to us throughout this whole ordeal. The staffs at every hospital have welcomed us with open arms and made us feel completely comfortable. Nationwide has been incredible throughout the whole process. From the first time I called they always ask how Sadie is doing and have made sure that I receive the most coverage possible for her condition. Every time Sadie has needed medical help, Nationwide has been there, and it just makes me happy knowing that we’re covered.”

You can help support pets like Sadie throughout November during National Pet Cancer Awareness Month by sharing this story with the #CurePetCancer. During the Month of November, Nationwide will donate $5 to the Animal Cancer Foundation for every picture, story or post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #CurePetCancer. Visit http://www.curepetcancer.com to find out how you can raise awareness and $50k for cancer research.

Although the top two monikers remained the same as last year, there were multiple changes to the top 10 for each species. In dogs, the name “Cooper” continued its growth in popularity and propelled to the eighth most popular name among canines – up more than one hundred spots from three years ago. Among female dog names, Sophie and Maggie both decreased significantly and dropped out of the top 10, while Lola surged into the tenth spot. Among cats, Luna saw an incredible increase in popularity among cat owners and surged into fourth place after failing to break into the top 10 last year, while Sophie saw the most significant drop.

“Our annual review of the most common pet names gives us a unique view of popular trends among our members,” said Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, Vice President and Chief Veterinary Officer for Nationwide. “Our data often shows increases in certain pop culture themes among pet monikers. The most significant theme has been the continued popularity of the name Bella, which has remained one of the top names ever since the Twilight series was introduced more than 10 years ago.”

Despite these monikers being the most popular, many pet lovers choose less conventional names for their companions such as “McLoven the StudMuffin” and “Agent Jack Meower,” who were crowned as Nationwide’s Wackiest Pet Names earlier this year. To view Nationwide’s 2016 Wacky Pet Names list, visit www.wackypetnames.com.

“She just kind of picked me,” said Leea. “I was in no way ready for a dog, but she was looking for an owner and that ended up being me. I had recently purchased a little town home and it had a yard so I thought ‘why not?’”

Bridget quickly became a major fixture in Leea’s life. The 70lb Chow and Shepherd mix was loved around the office and was referred to as the work mascot. Bridget embraced Leea’s active lifestyle and accompanied her on daily 5 – 10 mile runs, enjoying all the engaging features of the outdoors. The duo’s family eventually grew larger as Leea met her soon to be husband Jeff, whom Bridget welcomed with open paws. However, Bridget’s lifestyle underwent a drastic change when the energetic canine began to suffer from health issues.

“Bridget was diagnosed with pancreatitis and needed extensive treatment,” said Leea. “After her bout with pancreatitis she didn’t like to run much, and preferred to walk, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to be outside and enjoying as much sun as she could get. After that first spurt of health issues, we decided to insure Bridget with Nationwide.”

The family decided to extend their pack in 2014 by bringing home another dog named Jenkins. After a rough start, Bridget grew into her elder role, helping the younger pup learn the rules of the house and molding an inseparable bond. Bridget and the Kimble’s life had come together and grown into an amazing family, but little did they know, devastating news was looming.

Last July, Leea noticed that Bridget had developed an odd limp and took her to the veterinarian for a check-up. Bridget had suffered from hip issues in the past and Leea was concerned that she was having pain in her joints.

“At first, her veterinarian thought that she may have just been sore from over playing with a neighbor dog,” said Leea. “He prescribed a different medication and we tried that for a few days, but her limp wouldn’t go away. I took her back to the veterinary office and that’s when everything really started.”

Upon their return to the office, the veterinary staff took X-rays of Bridget’s legs and made a grisly discovery. Bridget had a massive tumor on one her legs and was suffering from Osteosarcoma, a commonly fatal type of bone cancer.

“The news was devastating,” said Leea. “The veterinarian gave us couple options. We could either pursue treatment which would hold off the disease and extend her life a few years or we could give her pain medication and only have a few months. We love Bridget and decided to do everything possible to give her more happy years.”

A couple days later, the Kimble family took Bridget to a canine oncology specialist, and within a week Bridget was in surgery to remove the tumor. Not only was the surgery a success, but the team was able to extract the tumor without needing to amputate Bridget’s leg, which is often required in similar cases. Within weeks of her surgery Bridget began a chemotherapy plan that included numerous sessions of Intravenous Fluid (IV) based sessions.

“You would never guess that she’s fighting cancer,” said Leea. “She’s been great since the beginning of her treatment and she still loves to play and run around like normal. She still begs to get her treats and loves going outside to enjoy the sunshine.”

As of today, Bridget is nearly done with her first rounds of chemotherapy. Soon she will move away from IV treatments and into a more comfortable pill based treatment. While the treatment has prevented the disease from spreading to her major organs, Leea knows that the cancer will eventually prevail.

“We know Bridget is living on borrowed time, and we want to make sure that it’s the best borrowed time possible,” said Leea. “She’s been so strong though the whole ordeal and we’ll continue to provide her with the treatment she needs to make sure she lives a full and happy life. Having Nationwide has made trips to veterinarian for Bridget’s treatment much easier because we know that we’ll be covered. It’s given us peace of mind during a difficult time.”

You can help support pets like Bridget throughout November during National Pet Cancer Awareness Month by sharing this story with the #CurePetCancer. During the Month of November, Nationwide will donate $5 to the Animal Cancer Foundation for every picture, story or post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #CurePetCancer. Visit http://www.curepetcancer.com to find out how you can raise awareness and $30k for cancer research.

Below is a list of the 10 most common presidential pet names in Nationwide’s database of more than 575,000 insured pets (total number of pets sharing that name in parenthesis):

Most Common Presidential Pet Names

• Jackson (1,112)
• Madison (602)
• Wilson (335)
• Lincoln (286)
• Reagan (206)
• Taylor (197)
• Tyler (193)
• Truman (161)
• Carter (130)
• Arthur (125)

Other than Warren Harding and James Polk, all 44 U.S. presidents were represented with at least one pet name in Nationwide’s database.

Does your pet have a presidential name? Let us know in the comments below!