Woman adopts 12-year-old terminally-ill dog to give him the best last 28 days of his life

Quite often, when a person receives news that they have a short time to live due to an illness, they try to make the most of their time left. Even though it is heartbreaking for everyone around them, they try to make the best out of the time left. Unfortunately, animals don’t always get the opportunity, freedom and access to do the things they love. They need to rely on the goodness of a human being to understand and make their last wishes come true. Kate Schakols made the same possible for a dog called Rooster, per PEOPLE. The woman had brought the brown mixed-breed Labrador home from an animal shelter for a special purpose, to help him live the best of his last few days on Earth.

Kate shared a video on TikTok, welcoming and introducing Rooster and giving a backstory about him. “I thought I’d introduce my other soul dog, Rooster,” she said. With stills of Rooster from various memories, the woman put together a short introduction for the canine. Kate mentioned that Rooster used to live on the streets of Texas and had “some bumps and lumps.” Being 12 years old, he was far advanced in age and had other illnesses too. “He was ringworm-positive, had fleas, crinkly ears from chronic, untreated infections, worn-out teeth and paw pads from trying to hunt food,” Kate explained.

The woman also pointed out the Rooster was blind in one eye. Even after so many problems, where one would have overlooked Rooster and picked a young and thriving canine, Kate couldn’t take her eyes off him and knew she would bring him home. “He is just one of the most beautiful dogs I've ever seen, inside and out,” she said. She also added, “I could never possibly repay Rooster for how much joy and love he brought to my life” Tragically, Rooster’s health deteriorated shortly after he was adopted. Kate mentioned that Rooster had a “dog bloat,” which vets couldn’t diagnose. “The vet confirmed there was nothing we could've done, but for me, that just increased the feeling of helplessness,” she added.

About 28 days later, Rooster took his last breath. “I was devastated after he passed away 28 days after bringing him home. I was so upset he didn’t get the life he deserved,” Kate poignantly said. She recalled that Rooster was a furry boy who had only love and gentleness to share with all around him. “But I am so glad that he got to spend the last few days of his life in the best way possible and have a family before he left this realm. He will always be special to me regardless of the short time we spent together,” Kate exclaimed. Kate shared several posts about Rooster to share with the world the precious soul that he was. In another video, she even shared a narrative as if from Rooster himself.

She shared a description of what Rooster would have loved about his new life, for example, his bed, his fellow canine Bailey and most of all, Kate, his mum. “I think I love my mom the most,” the text read. The post further relayed the grieving thoughts Kate and Rooster faced in his final days. “I think it’s time to go. I know my mom is sad, but I wish she knew these were the best 28 days of my life,” the text read.

You can follow Kate Schakols (@ksam325) on TikTok for more wholesome content on animals and pets.