Four-year-old Parker hasn’t had an easy life. The pup’s first home was a busy shelter in Junction City, Kansas. Parker was very nervous there, and it was clear he needed a smaller shelter to thrive. In 2015, Parker was transferred to Helping Hands for Animals, a rescue group based in Omaha, Nebraska.
The staff at Helping Hands worked with Parker, and they helped him learn socialization skills. After a few months, Parker was ready for his forever home.
The shelter staff said a tearful goodbye to Parker—they were sad to see him leave but happy that he was going to a good home. Over the next couple of years, the shelter received mostly positive updates about Parker. He was a very polite dog, and he had become quite the gentleman!
In the summer of 2018, Parker’s energy dipped, and his family wondered if he was sick. They took him to the vet, and the vet noticed poor Parker had some lumps.
The vet scheduled surgery so they could remove some of the masses for testing. When the vets tested the masses, they realized it was the worst-case scenario: the masses were malignant, untreatable, and spreading. There was nothing they could do but make Parker comfortable and give him a great last few weeks of life.
Then, things went from bad to worse. When Parker’s adoptive family learned that Parker had terminal cancer, they decided to abandon him.
Helping Hands for Animals was saddened to hear that Parker’s family wasn’t going to see him through his last days. They quickly said they would take him in. The staff knew Parker was heartbroken, and they wanted to make sure his last days were as special as could be.
The shelter staff came up with a bucket list for Parker. They also invited their local community to come and play with Parker.
The shelter set up an event called Parker’s Dance. In the event description, they said everyone was invited to come and help make Parker’s last days special:
“We are forming a bucket list for Parker and we would like anyone and everyone who would like to spend time with this boy to participate ; anywhere from bringing him treats and toys and taking him out for a drive or a hamburger or cooking him a nice thick juicy steak or to maybe arranging a special hay rack ride , and taking lots and lots of pictures of him…..or just to play ball with him.”
As the days went by, many people came and played with Parker. Parker got to eat a delicious, juicy steak.
The shelter also threw a party for him where he got to hang out with members of the community and play with all of his favorite toys.
Many local businesses also participated. A restaurant called Petrow’s Family Restaurant threw another party for Parker on their patio, and they gave him lots of steak and ice cream. Another company, DogGurt, gave Parker all the doggy ice cream he could eat. Plus, local pet shop Pet Supplies Plus donated tons of toys for him.
Parker’s tail never stopped wagging as he played with his new friends and enjoyed delicious treats. The sweet pup was showered with love!
Helping Hands for Animals had hoped that Parker would live for a few months after his diagnosis, but sadly, that wasn’t the case. About a month after his diagnosis, Parker’s health took a turn for the worse, and he was suffering. On September 27, 2018, the shelter staff made the heartbreaking decision to put Parker to sleep. Parker was surrounded by people who loved him in his last moments.
Parker’s life wasn’t easy, but in his last days, his entire community came out to support him. We’re so glad this sweet pup got to experience so much love—he deserved all of it!
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