A dying war veteran and his heart-wrenching last wish…a goodbye of a lifetime to his buddy.
His last request? He wants to see his dog Patch for “one last time” after being admitted to a hospice center.
John Vincent is a Marine who fought in Vietnam. The 69-year-old was hospitalized in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before being transferred to a nearby VA hospice facility.
Vincent had been forced to give Patch up for adoption with a local shelter when he entered the health facility.
The war veteran has no family in the New Mexico area, so when he fell ill, he had no one to call on to care for his furry companion.
Knowing he didn’t have much time left, Vincent expressed his final wish to palliative care social worker Amy Neal. He told his social worker at the center that his one request before he dies was to see Patch, according to the report.
“When the request came in, it was an immediate ‘absolutely,’ and let’s do whatever we can to get it done,” Albuquerque Animal Welfare director Danny Nevarez said, according to the paper. “It was as simple as getting Patch over here.”
“Yesterday was a special day for a Veteran named John Vincent and his beloved dog Patch,” the shelter wrote.
“John Vincent may not have much time left said, Amy Neal, a palliative care social worker and he had only one request. Vincent wanted to see his dog one last time. Yesterday, we were able to make their final reunion happen.”
Photos of the special moment were posted to Facebook by the shelter.
“It was an honor to make this veteran’s final wish come true,” the post said. “Patch is now back at our Westside Animal Shelter awaiting his new home.”
Along with the statement, the shelter shared a series of photos of Patch excitedly cuddling up to Vincent one last time.
The pooch sweetly licked his ailing owner as Vincent held on to him tightly from his hospital bed.
Watch the video below for more details:
Sources: Taphaps, Today, Albuquerque Journal
