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New York man takes dying dog on bucket-list adventure across the country

Poh and Thomas enjoy the view of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. (Instagram/pohthedogsbigadventure)

Poh doesn’t have long to live.

The 15-year-old pit bull-lab mix from New York City has been diagnosed with a series of serious health problems including tumours and kidney failure. Veterinarians believe that his days are numbered.

The terminal diagnosis inspired Poh’s owner, Thomas Neil Rodriguez, to embark on a seven-week road trip with his pet, crossing off bucket-list destinations as they travelled the country.

“It was a great trip,” Rodriguez, who adopted Poh from a shelter when the pup was just eight weeks old, told ABC News. “I got to spend seven weeks with Poh. At first, I did not think he’d make it two weeks, but he did.”

Starting on March 6, Rodriguez, his fiancée, and Poh set off on a 35-city, 12,000-mile road trip that included stops in North Carolina, Texas, Oregon and Arizona.

It didn’t start off as a seven-week trip. It just grew into one.

Rodriguez, a DJ, had a gig booked in Arizona. Not wanting to leave his sick dog behind, he decided to bring Poh — and a daily IV drip for the dog — with him. Because the canine did so well, they continued to explore America together, driving up through California to Seattle and back again.

“I initially wanted to get him to the Pacific ocean,” Rodriguez said. “I have always wanted him to swim.”

“He loved it, it was so healing for him. It was like he was five years younger. He was walking with a lot of energy.”

Rodriguez chronicled their road trip, filled with stops at both important landmarks and at dog parks, on Instagram, where pet owners were quick to praise the trip of a lifetime.

"My life is kind of hectic,” Rodriguez told ABC News. “I’m always traveling, but Poh is my home, my child. I think this resonated with a lot of dog owners. They wish they could do stuff like this with their dog and spend these moments, but sometimes life gets in the way.

"I am super blessed that I have actually gotten to do this,” he added. “People think I take care of Poh, but Poh takes care of me.”

Because Poh is still going strong, Rodriguez and his fiancée are considering a second leg of the road tip, this time a shorter trip to Miami.

“The unfortunate fact is that we’re all going to pass away,” Rodriguez told the Daily News Wednesday. “I’m kind of determined to live it to the fullest with Poh.”