When Lauren Fern Watt took her English Mastiff, Gizelle, to the vet, little did she realise that she would be given devastating news.
The 8-year-old pooch had terminal bone cancer, and the vet told Lauren that her beloved pet had only one month left to live.
The loyal dog had stuck by Lauren through thick and thin, so she decided to make sure that Gizelle’s last few weeks on earth were her most amazing.
She told Buzzfeed: “Gizelle wasn’t just a pet, she was some extremely special mix of my daughter, best friend, roommate, and everything in between. It was so hard to grasp life without her.”
In an essay published online by Yahoo, Lauren write: “My sobbing seemed unstoppable, but Gizelle was sensitive and didn’t like to see me cry. I had to be strong. So I decided we would bury our worries in the dog park and create a bucket-list adventure of everything we wanted to do before she died. It was my mission for us to indulge and explore life’s joys.”
Lauren took Gizelle on an adventure around the US, visiting nature reserves, canoeing on lakes, exploring New York city and feeding the loyal pup delicious lobster in Maine.
The day before Gizelle passed away, the pooch decided to take her beloved owner on her own adventure.
Gizelle led her to the beach in Maine and watched the sea as snow began to fall.
Lauren wrote: “Part of me wondered if this was her plan all along, to take me on an adventure, knowing we’d end up on a deserted beach alone. The sky was white, the trees were bare, and even the birds were hiding. The whole world felt lifeless, and it was hard to believe this beach was once filled with rainbow-colored umbrellas and cute boys lathered in SPF.
“It was then I realized that I was okay with letting Gizelle go. Just like I had faith that the trees would sprout lime green leaves again and kids with yellow buckets would splash in the water once more, I had faith I’d carry Gizelle with me. Even in the emptiness of that beach that day, I could see Gizelle running free long the shore, rolling in the sand, awkwardly spooked by approaching waves. I knew she would live on through my experiences, and that I gave her the best life I could. And that to me was infinitely healing.”