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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
This wonderful furbaby right here is Finn, a six-year-old golden retriever from Burlington, Vermont. Back in May, he was diagnosed with cancer and it’s not looking good, but through the grief of it all, his owners have managed to turn the devasting diagnosis into an inspirational story that we could all learn from.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
Cynthia and her husband Robert wanted to make sure that the little time Finn has left on this Earth would be his best, so they made him a bucket list and started sharing his adventures on Instagram. One by one, they began checking things off the list.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
He went for a hot air balloon ride with his best buddy Yogi (you’ll be seeing a lot of him).
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
And a ride on a boat.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
He went camping.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
And mountain biking too.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
He drove around in a police car.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
And took a tour at a fire station.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
He got a steak dinner.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
And you know you can’t have steak without a beer, so he got that too. But don’t worry, Finn only had a sip.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
He got to swim in the ocean.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
And watch the sunrise from a mountaintop.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
He visited Times Square.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
And even ran a 5K with his boys.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
Most recently, he became a certified therapy dog, something Cynthia wishes he could continue doing, “He’s a very enthusiastic, loyal dog who really lights up at anyone. He would have been an amazing therapy dog.”
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
She got Finn back in 2012 when he was only 6 weeks old. Over the years, he’s stood by her side and supported her through some very tough times, and now it’s time for her to return the favour.
“He helped me through the grief when my dad died and now he’s dying of cancer, too,” Cynthia said. “It’s a hard blow but really powerful to look back at how he got me through those times and now I’m going to help him.”
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
Finn hasn’t responded well to chemotherapy, and he’s only got about 4-6 weeks left, but there’s one last thing he needs to check off that bucket list. Writing a children’s book, and he needs our help.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
The biggest and most challenging goal yet, Cynthia wants to share Finn’s courageous story to help raise awareness for pet cancer as well as to provide a resource for children and families who are going through the same thing. With the help of people like you and me, Finn’s bucket list adventures can live on for generations and continue to inspire people all over the world.
If you would like to make a donation and help make this dream a reality, you can visit Finn’s GoFundMe page here. Any excess funds will be donated to the National Canine Cancer Foundation, the Live Like Roo Foundation, and Emma’s Foundation for Canine Cancer.
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Via Instagram/finnandyogi
As a dog owner myself, this story tears me apart. I thought that I should write something here about how short life really is, and how we need to cherish our time with loved ones, but instead, I’ll leave you with these emotional, heartfelt words from Cynthia.
“We know he’s dying, but we are trying to make him happy. We will look back on this and think we made his final days the best we could. We’re making the most of what we’ve got.”
H/T: BBC
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