Eight-year-old Rocko the Labrador cross was sadly discovered to have lymphosarcoma, an incurable form of cancer, after he was handed into Arizona’s Maricopa County Animal Care and Control for the third time in 15 months.
Although his prognosis looks far from good, the dedicated volunteers of the loving shelter are determined to give him the best life, for as many more days as possible.
Their special gift to him was a bucket list (or rather, bark-et list), compiled of all of his favourite things, to ensure his last weeks are as fun-filled as can be.
“We don’t know how much time Rocko has left,” a volunteer at the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control said in a Facebook video.
Rocko initially “responded remarkably well” to his chemotherapy treatments, before they sadly ceased to help him.
Rocko and his foster dad Michael, who suffers from PTSD, share a close bond.
With the help of the shelter and his current foster dad Michael, Rocko ticked off his first bucket list activity last week with a ride on the Mesa Fire Department fire engine.
In a heart-warming video posted to the shelter’s social media account, a volunteer says: “Even though we don’t know if he has a whole lot of time left, he’s still got a good spirit.”
As the fire truck pulls up dramatically, Rocko’s tail springs into action. He’s clearly excited to be given the honour of joining the firefighters on their adventures.
This Saturday, Rocko will tick off item number two on his list as he attends a “celebrity brunch” with his favourite humans, all of whom will bring along a tennis ball to fill a blow-up pool.
Other activities on his list include: joining police officers as an honorary K9, running the bases at Chicago Cubs training facility and receiving an honorary degree from the community college.
“All he wants is love,” says owner Michael, who looks at Rocko as his hero.
