A dying veteran's final wish to see his beloved pet dog has been granted by an animal charity.
Last week, when 69-year-old John Vincent, from New Mexico, entered a hospice to receive palliative care, he was forced to give up his beloved dog Patch to an animal charity. With little time left, the veteran asked if he could see his five-year-old dog one last time.
And this wish was granted on Thursday when the charity brought Patch to the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque.
Danny Nevarez, Animal Welfare director, said that Patch was quiet throughout the journey to the hospital, but when he saw Vincent in his hospital bed, the dog "began to cry".
"It's almost like he knew, he just started whimpering," he told the Albuquerque Journal.
The journal went on to reveal that John, who has no family in New Mexico, joined the Marines as a young man and served for three years, which included a stint in Vietnam.
Patch came into his life when his neighbor's dog had puppies.
The veteran said: "He was the smallest, and I wanted one that could ride on my bike. The only hair I had was on my chin, which was called a patch. … And he had a little white patch, so we were the patch brothers."
The heartwarming pictures were shared on Facebook by Albuquerque Animal Welfare who wrote: "They were so happy to see each other and to say their goodbyes. It was an honor to make this veterans [sic] final wish come true."
Check out the video below to see another emotional reunion. This is the moment a man found his dog after searching for three years:
The shelter also revealed that while Patch has returned to the charity after visiting John, it looks like he may have already found his forever family.
"Patch is now back at our Westside Animal Shelter awaiting his new home," the charity added. "Patch already has an interested adopter."
It's easy to empathise with someone who has lost a pet, or whose pet is sick in any way. Dogs are adorable and funny to be around, but they are also loyal and extremely supportive - making it that much harder to let go when they pass away. Even having some warning from a vet doesn't make it easy to get through, but it does offer you an opportunity to make the most of their final weeks or months left.
It was only last week that Isaac the dog was diagnosed with terminal cancer, with vets expecting him to only live for a few more weeks. The retired guide dog may not have long left, but his owner is helping him to fulfill some dreams before he departs, creating a bucket list for him to complete.
Briana May, the cousin of Isaac's owner, decided to make a bucket list for Isaac's final days. She and the rest of the family, who live in Brisbane, are helping him to tick off each item on the list - with the list including activities such as playing at the beach, going on a picnic and even getting a massage.
She posted the story on the Cool Dog Group Facebook page, where it has since started spreading across the internet. In her post, she wrote:
"Isaac is the coolest dog I know.
"He helps my cousin navigate her way around everywhere. He is also the best snuggle buddy.
"This gorgeous old boy found out her has a cancerous tumour. He only has weeks left to live so we wrote him a bucket list. Please help Isaac complete it and send pics of your pooches doing the bucket list items too.
"The list may seem silly for some but Isaac is a retired guide dog so there’s quite a few things on the list that he will be doing for the first time in his life.
"Of course he is also getting smothered with cuddles and smooches. Thanks for all the suppawt."
Briana's words moved many - especially those who have gone through a similar thing with their own pets in the past. In addition to this, many wanted to see what happened in the future with Isaac and his planned activities, and I can definitely count myself among that number. "Hope you update us with pictures! I’d love to see how this good boy gets in trouble with the police," one user wrote.
Following her words, other dog owners decided to let their dogs live the high life, posting photos of their own adventures following this bucket list, from birthday parties to taking a quick nap.
Even if he doesn't tick off every item on the list, it's clear that Isaac's story has inspired people all over the world to give their dogs a little treat. Hopefully, Isaac gets the chance to try out every part of the list, and we get to see the photos afterwards.
There aren't many people out there who would adopt a dog knowing that it was possibly only weeks away from dying. Luckily, there are at least some.
Dog lover Courtney Thomsen's heart broke when she spotted a desperate plea from the Humane Society of Texas for a kind soul to adopt a dog suffering from heart worm disease. The Facebook post explained that Marino had been abandoned at the dog shelter, dirty and in poor health.
Marino's previous "owners" hadn't protected him against heart worm, a parasitic roundworm that spreads between hosts, typically dogs, and causes issues with the heart and other major organs. The post advised anyone who was kind enough to adopt Marino that he may not have very long left to live - possibly as little as a few weeks. The dog shelter said that they didn't want Marino's final days to be spent at the shelter, and felt he deserved to experience a loving family before he passed away.
Moved by the post, Courtney quickly got in touch with the Humane Society, knowing that time was of the essence. Talking to The Dodo, Courtney said: "When I saw his photo on Facebook, I already felt an intense urge to scoop him up, but after reading through several comments saying things like, ‘I wish I could take him!’ I knew I had to get him. I couldn’t stand the thought of him dying alone at the shelter and not knowing what it was like to be loved and be part of a real family."
Courtney knew how serious Marino's condition was, but when she and her son met him in person she knew they had to take him in. She said: "when we showed up, they said he didn’t really seem to respond to [his name]. My 5-year-old son immediately said, ‘We can name him Taco!’ An employee called him Taco, and he went straight to her! So he was immediately renamed Taco."
A newly named Taco was brought home soon after. Though surely grateful for his new home, Courtney said that Taco seemed to be "worried and unsure" about his new surroundings. To try and make him as comfortable as possible, Courtney said: "I spent so much time loving on him, cuddling him, talking to him and just anything I could think of to make him feel better. Within a few days, Taco began to smile, and get excited about things. He started following me everywhere — so I started taking him everywhere."
Finally receiving the love and care he so desperately needed, Taco's health began to improve - he has gained weight and become more confident. Courtney said that Taco, who was not previously toilet trained, has even learned how to go to the bathroom outside. She has told her Facebook friends that aside from some coughing fits, Taco is able to live a normal life.
In a recent post, Courtney shared an update on Taco:
"Obviously, I’ve fallen in love, and the thought of losing him has been horrible. I’ve been mad at myself at times for adopting him, knowing it would hurt, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
"Which finally leads me to his update. He was coughing to the point of throwing up, and super lethargic. He didn’t seem interested in playing, and all he would do was lay on me. I called the vet, and spent the day holding him and crying and taking pictures fearing it would be his last.
"So then I brought him, and as soon as we got in my car he started perking up. Then we got out and he started smiling. He humped the vet tech, ran all over the office, and confused the heck out of the vet when I tried explaining how lethargic he had been. Taco had gained 4 pounds, surprised the vet with how much healthier he looked, and he told me at home Taco is playing me like a fiddle. He’s not lethargic, he’s lazy.
"The healthier I can keep getting him, the more likely he will be strong enough for treatment. The vet said there’s a possibility Taco could have a few years left! So I went home with my lazy dog, and I’ve continued to love him like crazy. He’s currently sleeping next to me while I type this and we listen to Sam Cooke.
A dying dog has been joined by 400 of his furry friends on a heartwarming last walk.
The tear-jerking event took place in Crawfordsburn Forest Park in Northern Ireland. The doggo in question, Marley, has been diagnosed with cancer, and his owner, Ashley, put out an open call for other pooches to join him on his last walk.
She described the cocker spaniel's cancer diagnosis as "probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to accept".
This police dog was similarly honored for years of service:
Speaking about the pooch, who she has owned for seven years, Ashely told Belfast Live: "He has been through everything with me the last seven years, losing my baby, losing my dad, being assaulted, the break down of my 10-year relationship, he even stayed with me during my darkest moments when I was struggling with PTSD - my Marley never left my side once.
"To think there is nothing I can do to save him absolutely breaks my heart."
Marley has Haemangiosarcoma, an illness Ashley described as "the most aggressive form of cancer a pupper can have". While he did have a 1.5kg tumor removed in the hope of beating it, he is no longer responding to chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments.
"This was one of his first walks and he still gets super excited about arriving," Ashleigh wrote on the event's Facebook page. "Please come along with as many hoomans and pups you like, everyone is welcome, two feet or four."
Unbeknownst to Ashley, Marley's story resonated with a lot of other dog walkers who wanted to give him the best possible send-off, and over 400 humans and pooches turned up.
No one who attended the walk went hungry either, as refreshments were provided by local businesses for humans and doggos alike, per the Daily Star. Ashleigh said: "Never in our wildest puppy dog dreams did we ever think this amount of people would show up for a normal girl and her little doggy.
"We are so humbled and honored to have spent the day with so many fantastic people."
Animals are a lot smarter than we often give them credit for. Even my pet hamster appears to know when I am sick.
And another pet who realized that something was wrong was this "miracle" Chihuahua who saved his Navy veteran owner's life.
Rudy Armstrong, 86, lives alone in a houseboat in Oriental, North Carolina, with his dog Boo Boo, a Chihuahua mix. Unfortunately, his life recently took a dangerous turn for the worst when he recently suffered a stroke.
This hero dog has been delivering groceries to people during the pandemic:
In an interview with ABC12, Rudy said: "I sat down in my chair, drank my coffee, and the next thing I know it was after lunch. And I couldn't even get my hand to move and my foot wouldn't move."
Rudy said that he is a man who very much likes his own company, which is why he lives alone, but he realized that this was to his detriment when he suffered a stroke and was forced to turn to Boo-Boo for help.
"I didn't want to be there for a couple of days before somebody would come by," he said, "so I said, 'Ok Boo-Boo, go get me some help.'"
Boo-Boo did exactly that and alerted the dockmaster, Kim, who went on to call 911, and Rudy's life was subsequently saved by paramedics and later the CarolinaEast Hospital staff.
CarolinaEast hospital staff said in a statement: "We thank him for his service to our country and for allowing us the privilege of caring for him and sharing his story of Boo-Boo, the miracle pup."
Then, five days after he was first hospitalized, Rudy was reunited with his "miracle" pup. "I've got tears running out of my eyes," he said, "missed her so much, man."
The veteran, who has served his country all over the world, couldn't be prouder of his dog and said that he is convinced he wouldn't have lived to tell the tale of his stroke without her.
In a story that is sure to tug at the heartstrings, a loyal dog followed her beloved owner's coffin to its final resting place - showing yet again that dogs are one of the best things to ever happen to us.
Anyone who has ever owned a dog will know that nothing comes close to the unconditional love and loyalty that four-legged companions can bring into the world.
Often it breaks hearts when laying a dog to rest considering that they quickly become family - but sometimes an owner can sadly pass first.
Margo Magan of County Longford, Ireland, died aged 94 on December 30 leaving behind her 12 children, as reported by the Mirror.
She also left behind her beloved golden retriever Bessie, who helped lead mourners to Killashee Cemetery where her owner was laid to rest.
Her son, Mike Magan, posted a poignant image on Twitter, adding: "We said our final goodbye to our remarkable Mum, Margo, today @ 94. She loved her dog. Mother of 12. Champion swimmer, holder of many titles/records, top golfer, 1st female president of a golf club in Ireland. Active until recently having swam Xmas day 3 yrs ago. Legend."
The image was taken by Mike's niece Tamara Gervasoni, and the comments were flooded by those wishing to pay their respects to Margo.
One person said: "Dear Mike, she was, and is, an inspiration. Am so sorry for your loss," with another adding: "Condolences Mike. Didn’t she do very well to get to 94? A beautiful dog too. May she rest in peace."
A third person said: "What an amazing woman and what an incredible life. How fortunate you were to have her as your Mother," and a fourth concluded: "Condolences to you and the Magan and Beckett families. That poignant photo tells a story."
We're sure Bessie will be taken good care of as she also mourns the loss of her beloved owner, as dogs often display remarkable loyalty.
Their attachment to their owners is the topic of the heartbreaking movie Hachi: A Dog's Tale, starring Richard Gere.
The film is a US remake of the Japanese movie Hachi-ko which tells the true story of Hachi, who turned up at Shibuya Station each day for the rest of his life as he waited for his owner to return from work - unaware the owner had passed away while working.
Our thoughts are with Bessie and Margo's family as they mourn their loss.
Featured image credit: Tierfotoagentur / R. Richter / Alamy
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