Nicole Elliot of Columbus, Georgia, is truly a doggie saint. She recently adopted Chester — an elderly dog who is suffering from terminal cancer — from local shelter Animal Ark Rescue.
Her plan? Help Chester live out the best darn bucket list any dog ever had, and make his final days as awesome as possible.
Chester was in bad shape when he was brought in to Animal Ark Rescue, but he was soon feeling a bit better after a bath and shave.
Little is known of Chester’s history before coming to the rescue, but he was diagnosed with cancerous tumors soon after arrival. A call was put out to find a hospice environment for the poor pooch.
Nicole was moved by Chester’s story and decided to bring him home to live with her and her daughter, Paisley.
“I was scrolling through, and saw a post with a before and after picture, and ‘hospice needed’ as the title. I had to think hard about if I could handle this since I have a young daughter, and my Grandma just passed away,” Nicole said. “I slept on it, and woke up knowing it was the right thing to do.”
To kick off Chester’s bucket-list with a bang, Nicole took him on a shopping spree for toys and treats.
Chester still has a big appetite, so he even managed to chow down on a delicious hot dog.
He also got a spa day and went on a long car ride with the wind blowing in his hair.
Chester’s tumors have continued to grow since being adopted. Luckily, he doesn’t appear to be in pain.
Chester keeps busy playing with children, including Nicole’s young daughter.
Dinner at a fancy restaurant, a day at the beach, and a birthday party with the other animals at the shelter are on the schedule for Chester.
Nicole plans to keep Chester at home as long as possible, though she knows his cancer is terminal.
“As long as we keep his pain at bay, and he keeps eating and drinking, then he will hopefully be home until the end,” Nicole said.
You can follow Chester’s bucket list on Facebook, and visit Animal Ark Rescue, the organization that saved Chester from a high-kill shelter, if you’d like to make a donation to help other animals in need.