PASCO COUNTY, FL (WFLA) – A terminally ill 15-year-old dog is winning a place in people’s hearts as he makes stops on his bucket list trip across the country.
On Wednesday, “Poh” visited Pasco County to make friends and spread his message about the importance of pet adoption. Poh has racked up more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. His journey is inspiring so many people and dogs to get out there and follow their dreams. Facing the loss of a family member is difficult for anyone, especially when that family member has four legs.
“I’ve never had human kids, I’ve never had the opportunity to have a family, so Poh has been my family, he is my kid,” said Pho’s owner Thomas Neil Rodriguez.
Back in December 1999, Rodriguez adopted Poh from the North Shore Animal League shelter in Port Washington, New York, where he instantly fell for the 8-week-old pup with a mischievous side. Last Feburary, vets discovered that Poh had tumors in his stomach and his kidneys were failing. They gave the lab-pit bull mix a terminal diagnosis.
“A softball size tumor on his liver, multiple tumors on his kidneys. If he did get surgery, he would spend the rest of his life recovering. That was something we didn’t want to happen,” said Rodriguez. But, Rodriguez did make something happen, a bucket list.To make the most of Poh’s last days on earth, they embarked on a 5-month bucket list road trip across the country, Instagramming dozens of photos along the way.
“Our main goal was to get him in the Pacific Ocean. But he has kept on surviving and thriving.”
Poh visited the SPCA Suncoast Animal Shelter in New Port Richey on Monday and from Las Vegas to Washington D.C., this pooch has seen more than most humans, racking up a following on social media. The trip is not just for fun though. Poh is a shelter dog himself and through the journey, they are spreading the word on the importance of pet adoption. “I think it’s important for people to know there is unconditional love waiting for people in these cages. They are waiting for a parent to bring them home.”
Rodriguez will be grateful for the snapshots he has to hold onto after Poh is gone.
“No matter how much you prepare, there is no preparation for it. But through the wonders of the internet, I have all these memories I have saved.”
As for the fuiture, Poh still has has 13 states left to visit, mostly those in the midwest. They are in the planning stages of a trip to Chicago. However, because of Poh’s health, they are taking things one day at a time.
