Dog runs away from home to be with owner battling cancer in the hospital

Sissy the Schnauzer enters the hospital. — (Image credit: Twitter.com/LMSCounselor)

Nothing was going to keep Sissy the miniature Schnauzer from her owner, Nancy Franck.

Franck has spent the last two weeks at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, recovering from surgery for cancer. Her husband, Dale Franck, has been taking care of Sissy and the family’s other miniature Schnauzer, Barney, at their home 20 blocks away from the hospital, and at 1:30 a.m. Saturday discovered that Sissy was missing. Four hours later, he received a call from Mercy Medical Center, saying they found his dog roaming the halls. "She was on a mission that night to see her mom," Dale Franck told ABC News, "but she couldn't find the right elevator to take."

Dale Franck says he has no idea how Sissy was able to make her way to the hospital solo. He sent his daughter to pick up Sissy, and she was given permission to surprise Nancy Franck in her room. "Nancy and Sissy were able to love each other for a few minutes, and then she went back with me," Dale Franck said. "She's my baby, and though it sounds funny now, it wasn't funny when she was missing. I was worried sick. I'm glad she's OK."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.