Renée Alsarraf knows what people think: Her job must be sad. When they hear “veterinary oncologist,” they picture all the dogs the doctor can’t save. But Alsarraf also gets to see her patients live through more birthdays, holidays and family vacations, plus everyday rituals like walks, park visits and playtime, all thanks to treatment. A few years — even one more year — is a huge chunk of a dog’s life. The Essex County veterinarian would routinely take on between 45 and 80 cases per week — lymphoma, mast cell tumors, bladder cancer and many other diagnoses in retrievers, terriers, spaniels, Ge…
