Stories2 min(s) read
Snow delivered specially for winter-loving dog to have her last play before she passed away
Salt Lake County Ice Center in Utah arranged for an unwell dog to play in the snow one last time before she passed away.
The pooch, named Maggie, had been battling cancer when she was put to sleep earlier this week in order to relieve her of her pain.
Before she passed, her owners wanted to give their beloved pet, who was a big fan of winter, a fun final weekend - with plenty of snow.
As wintry conditions were not forecasted in Salt Lake County, Maggie's owners decided to enlist the help of Salt Lake County Ice Center to deliver buckets of ice shavings for Maggie to play in.
After a weekend of playing in the snow, her owners took to Facebook on Monday, September 27, to share that they had just said "goodbye to our sweet Maggie Bear."
They continued: "We are devastated and already feel the enormous void of her absence. As difficult as the decision to end her suffering was, we are comforted in knowing she departed with grace and dignity.
"We wanted to share in one last weekend filled with paddle boarding (her favorite), food, camping, playing with her ball, more food, and belly rubs.
"Our outing was incredibly bittersweet. Seeing her big brown eyes take in all the stimuli of nature had us doubting our decision. Could we wait another week? Another month?"
"Ultimately, all our bargaining and second-guessing led us right back to our want to free her from the pain of her cancer," they added.
Her owners had desperately wanted Maggie to experience playing in the snow one last time, as it had always brought her a lot of joy.
So they put out a notice on Facebook and received an unexpected response. After hearing their story, Salt Lake County Ice Center in Murray offered to provide them with "snow" for the canine to enjoy.
They recalled: "We set our alarm for 5:30 this morning, packed up our camp in the dark, and drove somberly back to SLC. Eli met Tiffany at the rink and loaded up the van with Maggie’s snow.
"With the help of my mom and her partner, we unloaded the snow and made a throne for our girl to rest in one last time. We are incredibly grateful that our sweet girl spent her final moments surrounded by immense love and comfort."
The doting owners concluded their post: "We are absolutely heartbroken, but have found comfort in knowing we gave her the best life and the most gracious passing. Hug your loved ones extra tight for us tonight."