Dog With Cancer Enjoys Bucket List Time With His Family: Beloved Pup’s Joys Are Simple And Sweet

Loving a pet means, inevitably, painfully recognizing that a human lifespan is much longer than a dog’s or cat’s existence. But when Anna and Justin Carter learned that their beloved dog Cane had thyroid cancer, they vowed to turn their pet’s final months into days filled with happiness. And thus Cane’s Bucket List came into creation, reported NBCDFW.

“It was a way for us to cope and turn a tragic event into something positive,” Anna explained.

The Carters have owned the six-year-old pit bull since 2008, when they adopted him from the Wylie Animal Shelter the day after Christmas. They believe that their dog truly has only one wish for his life. And that’s to give and receive love.

“In the past six years, he’s proven time and time again how incredibly resilient and loving and unconditional this breed is. All they really want is to love and to be loved.”

So what’s on Cane’s Bucket List? Everything that a beloved dog could desire to do with his humans, from playing in parks to lots of attention. All three of them are enjoying fulfilling the 15 items on the list.

The Carters are documenting the bucket list completion with photos, posting them on Facebook often with clever captions.

“Because it keeps us focused on keeping him happy, watching him be excited getting, anticipating his reactions to these experiences. Capturing those special moments.”

Among those special items are numbers thee and four on Cane’s Bucket List.

“Tuxedo and bow tie pictures by the Christmas tree.

“Parks. Lots and lots of parks.”

To those who challenge spending so much time with a dog, the Carters emphasize how much Cane means to them. And because of their love, they want to ensure that their memories of his final days are filled with joy for both humans and dog.

“I’ve been telling my family and friends it’s been incredibly therapeutic and we truly believe that by doing this we’ll be able to look back and know that we’ve done everything we can both medically, but more importantly emotionally.

“For the sake of his happiness [to know] that we won’t be looking back regretting that we didn’t do everything we could.”

The final item on the list, however, means looking forward, not looking back. The Carters hope to show that the pit bull breed can be loving. So item 15 expresses that wish.

“Paw it forward.”

Aware that pit bulls often get a bad rap, Cane’s family hopes that their beloved dog can shine a light on the positive qualities of the breed.

“By sharing his story, if it can lead to one additional person viewing the pit bull breed in a positive light, if it can lead to one additional pit bull in shelter death row from being rescued into a very loving family [then it is worth it].

“I think we’ve succeeded in giving Cane a larger purpose and helping others see how incredibly amazing the pit bull breed can be if given the chance to be part of a very loving and cared for family.”

To those who are thinking about pet adoption, however, many animal shelter directors urge waiting until after the holidays, reported the Gazettes. And that’s partly true of a tiny puppy or kitten that you’re considering putting under the Christmas tree.

“People need to realize that it is a commitment,” emphasized Ted Stevens, manager of Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS). “People often like the idea of a new pet, but after they adopt them, they realize puppies and kittens are a lot of work.”

However, for those who understand what’s involved, Stevens urges that they turn to an animal shelter or pet rescue group rather than buy a pet at a store or a breeder advertising online.

“Millions of animals are waiting for a family,” said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Los Angeles. “The same animals that people see through Internet dealers and stores can also be found at shelters.”

That includes even the tiniest of puppies. Recently, as the Inquisitr reported, three 10-day-old puppies were tossed into a dumpster and left to die. A Good Samaritan rescued them, took them into her home, and is fostering them for a nonprofit pet rescue group. The foster mom, as shown below, is doing her best to compensate for the lack of a doggy mother by giving them loving, warm baths.

[Images Via Facebook Cane’s Bucket List]