There are few more pure things in life than the love of a pet. When our beloved pets get old and close to death, that love feels stronger than ever. We want to do just about everything we can do to make sure their final days are happy and comfortable. One pair of loving dog parents proved that with the way they took care of their sweet pup during her final weeks.
Tom Antonino and his wife, Lauren, went above and beyond when it came to their 16-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, Cocoa. The dog was ailing and couldn't walk very far anymore. But because Cocoa loved the ocean, they refused to leave her at home when they visited Virginia Beach, one of their favorite vacation spots.
They came up with a creative solution to the problem, too, creating a mobile dog bed so they could pull her around the beach town, making sure she enjoyed her final beach trip as much as she could.
While they were out pulling Cocoa around, a woman named Carrie Copenhaver thought it was just too sweet of a scene to let it pass her by. She asked Tom if she could take a picture. Of course, he obliged.
Carrie posted the image on Facebook, and it quickly went mega viral. But because Tom wasn't on social media, he had no idea what was going on. "I found out from my brother-in-law. He said, 'Is this you?' and then other people asked, 'Is this you?' and I'm like yeah, that's Cocoa. That's Cocoa and I going for a walk," he told WTKR.
Sadly, Cocoa died recently. Lauren reached out to Carrie to thank her for posting the image of their dog. She let her know they had received a ton of attention since the post went viral. Now that Cocoa has died, the loving comments are even more meaningful.
“Here is Cocoa, our Chesapeake Bay Retriever, looking out on Rudee's Inlet at the end of the Virginia Beach Boardwalk," the note read. "She peacefully went to sleep last Friday. We spent over 16 sweet years together and the last 6 months without her ability to stand brought us even closer."
The note continued, "She has left a large void in our heart and our home. She wasn't able to greet people or dogs anymore on her own, but she loved it when people came up to her. Thank you for stopping to greet her and for sharing her with your friends on Facebook."
"Cocoa had not walked since last August, but she still was living a meaningful, quality life with us. She brought us such joy and hopefully we did the same for her. We miss her and will treasure our memories of her forever. She will always be with us in our hearts."
The amazing thing about social media is that now Cocoa has touched so many lives. People got to see just how special she was to her human parents and how much they loved her. While it's so sad that she's gone, perhaps she's in doggy heaven, running on a beach.
Tom says their special bond will live on, even though Cocoa is now gone. "It hit a chord with people that the bond we have with our dogs and our pets — it's strong."
It certainly is.
