Cary, North Carolina - When Chase Johnson's dog Ceto started acting anxious, she didn't brush it off. Chase paid attention, and that made all the difference – Ceto knew his owner had breast cancer, and his discovery saved her life.

Chase Johnson (36) from Cary, North Carolina, remembers her four-legged friend's strange behavior vividly.

"A couple of weeks before I found the lump, he followed me around the house, would pace the room, whimpering and became really anxious," Chase told SWNS.

This behavior was unusual for Ceto, and it got worse by the day.

Cats Cat rescuers post viral pictures of kitten's bizarre eye condition – what's the cause of it?

"We were trying to figure out what was going on until one day he got so upset and bumped his nose against my chest," Chase explained. Then the Labrador retriever mix did it again.

"[It] hurt; that is when I started searching and found the lump. If he had not done that, I would not have found it," she told the news agency.

Right after Ceto's alert, in January 2021, Chase then went to see a doctor. "I told them that I had found a lump, but they told me I was too young for cancer," she said. Chase couldn't believe she'd been turned away.

Ceto's owner refused to be dismissed and sought help. She was offered an appointment in May. Chase felt that would be too late.

After multiple rejections, per SWNS, Chase finally underwent a mammogram and ultrasound scan.

The results of the tests led to a shock diagnosis on February 16, 2021: breast cancer!

Dogs Dog abandoned when owners moved is petrified of rescuers: "She didn't understand kindness"

Chase began several months of treatment, including chemotherapy, which was completed successfully.

"After my diagnosis, I met with my oncologist, she said if I had waited till May, that we would be having a very different conversation, and I may not have survive," said the 36-year-old in the interview.

If I didn’t have Ceto [...], I might not be here. You have to be your own advocate, I was told by experts that I was too young and cancer didn’t hurt – then I received this diagnosis.”