Dog with terminal cancer tackles bucket list
A Nova Scotia woman with a terminally ill dog wants to make her best friend's final days extra special.
Susan Davidson lives in Hubley, a small suburb of Halifax. Her 12-year-old husky-German shepherd mix, Winston, was diagnosed with cancer almost a year ago.
Davidson has made a bucket list for Winston, a list of things for him to accomplish in his last days. It was inspired by another dog in British Columbia, whose owner wanted to fill her best friend's last days with adventure.
Coquitlam's Riina Cooke said the bucket list for her dog Romeo was as much about showing him a good time as it was about dealing with her own grief.
Romeo has so far gotten to meet animal lover and cancer survivor Bif Naked, caught a ride in a police car and has drank beer in a pub.
At the top of Winston’s list is a television appearance. A goal he accomplished Thursday at CBC's studio in Halifax.
"One of the things I wanted to do was have him on TV so that everyone could see what a beautiful dog he is and how well he's doing," said Davidson.
Last April, during a routine checkup, the veterinarian found a mass on Winston's spleen. It was cancer. That night, Winston underwent emergency to remove it.
At the time he was given three months to live. Winston is still going, battling his cancer with chemotherapy pills to slow the progression of the disease.
The good news is it hasn't spread to his heart
"It's not full chemotherapy treatments. Those would be very difficult to do, especially at his age, it probably wouldn't be quality of life," said Davidson.
Now she and Winston are focused on tackling the bucket list.
The list includes walking the 9.25-kilometre long trail that runs between Lakeside and Hubley, appearing on the front page of the local newspaper, walking without a leash and trying cat food.
The last one was a definite hit with Winston.
Davidson is certain Winston will finish his list before he passes on.
