This Terminally Ill Dog Was Taken On The Road Trip Of A Lifetime By Her Owner
Robert Kugler has been on the road with his dog Bella for a few weeks now. The trip is the pair’s second together. Both trips came after Bella was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
In 2015, Robert learned Bella was dying from osteo-sarcoma. The vet told Robert that Bella’s front left leg would have to be amputated or she would have to be put to sleep because the pain would become unbearable.
Robert opted to have Bella’s leg removed, extending her life for what was supposed to be about six months. Fourteen months later, Bella and Robert are on the road together, enjoying the last days she has left.
Robert isn’t taking this second road trip for granted. It’s a second chance for him and Bella to see everything they could possibly want, without worrying about the future. He admits the first road trip, which he and Bella left for as soon as her leg was amputated, was rushed.
When Bella was still in good shape three months after the initial road trip, Robert decided to hit the road again, saying, “I just didn’t want her to be gone one day when I got home.”
Now he’s living each day to the fullest and with no regrets.
Robert says his perspective on loss comes from losing two siblings of his own, “When you see lives end shortly before people get to do many of the things they dream of doing, it changes your perspective on life.”
Knowing Bella, just nine-years-young, won’t get to live her full life, Robert is making sure she lives what she does have left to the fullest.
Robert and Bella’s story together is both tragic and inspiring. It serves as a reminder of all the beauty we take for granted in the world, even when it seems like everything’s falling apart around us.
Just take this quote from Robert as an example, “May you Love and be Loved by someone dear to your heart as you fall asleep tonight. If all you have is a memory, cherish it and let it warm you like a soft blanket.”
Robert has found his love, and although it’s not a person, that doesn’t make it any less real or meaningful. He is holding onto the warmth for as long as he can, and we should all see him as an example of how to love ourselves, the world around us, and most importantly the people around us who make life worth living in the first place.
After all, if this picture doesn’t show true love, we don’t know what does.
While their trip began in Chicago, this former Marine and his best buddy are currently in Florida. Basically, this dog is getting the trip of a lifetime that many people will never even have the chance to take. This man’s best friend was lucky enough to find a guy who is also dog’s best friend.
