When your pet must be put down, it can be hard to decide how to spend the short time that you have left with them.
Some families prefer to enjoy their animal's final hours as they would even if they weren't ill—just as they would normally.
Others celebrate their life with special treats, extra playtime, and plenty of belly rubs.
Some animals even comfort their owners during their final hours like this sweet hand-holding kitty.
But Ashley Niels and her coworkers made sure that her dog Spunky had an extra special last day of life by letting him play in the snow—an impressive feat considering that they live in Texas!
The sweet snow-lover got to be around some white slush one last time—even if it was only man-made!
Check below to see more photos of Spunky's sweet snowy surprise—though you may be a little misty-eyed by the end.
[H/T: The Dodo]
After her beloved furry friend Spunky began to exhibit a few strange symptoms, owner Ashley Niels took him to the vet.
There, they both got some terrible news: the 12-year-old dog was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, an invasive type of dog cancer.
There was nothing that could be done in terms of treatment; chemotherapy and surgery couldn't help at that point.
Thus, sadly, Niels scheduled to have her beloved dog put down the following evening.
But then she remembered she had made a promise to the poor dog that she still hadn't followed through on: to make sure he saw snow one last time.
Spunky was adopted in Wisconsin, which meant he spent plenty of time frolicking around in the snow.
Then the pair moved to Austin, Texas, where Niels currently works for a city shelter called the Austin Animal Center.
Since then, Spunky hasn't been able to enjoy any snow, which his loving owner vowed to fix at some point.
But Niels' coworkers did something amazing to make sure that Spunky got his final wish.
They rented a snow machine and brought it over to their house so that the sick doggie could play around in it one last time.
After the snow flurry, Spunky's appointment to get euthanized loomed—but the vet suddenly had to cancel because of an emergency.
And though they rescheduled for the following morning, Niels couldn't go through with the appointment because Spunky seemed too happy and lively; he was truly living up to his name.
Since then, Niels, as well as her father and girlfriend, have been enjoying the extra time that they have to cherish Spunky while he is still around.
And the Austin Animal Center ended up buying the snow machine before returning it, so that their other animals can enjoy some snow in Texas!
Though it's unclear how long Spunky has left, the fact that there are so many people in Austin that care about him has surely made his last few days special.
"…The real beauty behind the whole thing was how this entire village enveloped us in love, and pulled all of this together in hours so that I could give my boy a last wish, if you will. I can't tell you how touched I was," explained Niels.
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