When I saw Platty the Golden Retriever’s face, I knew he had to be a Monday Miracle. There was just something about him.

I visited his Facebook page and learned more about the 10-year-old dog, I couldn’t wait to share his story with you.

And what makes Platty’s face so special? Well, he’s got quite a unique growth going on — a beauty mark if you will. Actually — all right — I’m trying to make something charming and light out of something pretty serious. The growth is cancerous, and Platty was dumped as a stray in Oklahoma. As you can see, the growth has altered all of Platty’s face, and that’s what captured shelter volunteer Alli Elmore’s heart. She couldn’t bear the thought of Platty languishing through cancer in a shelter, so she decided to take the senior dog home.

While Platty’s new family hoped for the best, a biopsy revealed that the growth is indeed cancerous. Not only that, the cancer has metastasized into his lungs. A recent trip to the vet revealed further bad news: He does not have long to live — in fact, this may be Platty’s final week.

Though Platty was adopted just this month, his story has already garnered a legion of fans and admirers. While Elmore initially wanted to cancel the fundraiser she had started for Platty after learning that he does not have that much longer to live, at the urging of Platty’s fans and followers, Elmore has decided to continue accepting money for what is now Platty’s Memorial Fund.

All photos by TylerDog Photography via Platty’s Facebook page. Go follow him there and give him some love from Dogster. Let’s cherish him for whatever time he has left in this world before we send him off to the Rainbow Bridge.

Read about other Monday Miracles on Dogster:

• Nobody Puts Sammy the Cocker Spaniel in a Garbage Bag!
• Reed the Pit Bull Is Missing a Leg But Leads a Complete Life
• Lucy, the World’s Smallest Working Dog, Is a Rescue Sucess

About Liz Acosta: Dogster’s former Cuteness Correspondent, Liz still manages the site’s daily “Awws,” only now she also wrangles Dogster’s social media. That’s why she wants you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and — her personal favorite — Instagram. See ya there!