Thomas Neil Rodriguez got the news that no loving pet owner ever wants to hear. His beloved 15-year-old Poh was diagnosed with multiple inoperable tumors and had only a short time left to live.
Rodriguez, a New Jersey DJ, decided to make the most of this time left with his pooch and made a bucket list for Poh.
According to Buzzfeed , Rodriguez took to Instagram to record the entire event. This would be a trip consisting of travelling from New York across the country covering 12,00 miles.
One of the captions of Poh’s picture on Instagram read, “We are going to go South to North Carolina, Texas, Arizona… All the way up the west coast to Seattle and back. This will be just like pee wee Herman’s trip without the bicycle.”
The idea hit Rodriguez when the vet informed Rodriguez that Poh could have only a few days left. Rodriguez had a DJ gig in Arizona, but he knew he couldn’t leave Poh behind in case the unthinkable were to happen. The road trip to Arizona turned into a three-month tour of 35 cities across the United States.
Rodriguez told Pix 11 that many people have expressed to him how they wish they could have done something so wonderful and memorable with their own pet, and he is so thankful that he has the kind of job that allows him to be able to pick up and go and set his own schedule.
Poh has had quite the adventure over the past few months, living much longer than expected. USA Today reports that Poh has “basked in the lights of Times Square, cruised the Vegas strip, stoically posed with D.C. monuments, gotten his kicks on Route 66, and gawked at Seattle’s Space Needle.”
As news began to spread about Poh and his adventure with his owner, thousands of people began to follow their story to the tune of over 44,000 followers on Instagram. It’s a story that warms the heart and touches the soul.
Poh had Rodriguez’s heart from the moment he saw Poh at the animal shelter in 1999 when Poh was a mere 8-week-old puppy, he recalls to USA Today .
“He chose [me], at the end of the day. Very loving, very loyal.”
That day grew into a 15-year-long friendship full of love and wonderful memories that will continue for the rest of Poh’s life.
[Photo Credit Petcha.com, Dailybest.us]