The Bark-et List: New Yorker Takes Dying Dog On Trip Around America

Anyone who has ever lived with an elderly dog knows the heartbreak that comes along with it. Flushing-born DJ Neil Rodriguez was going through just that in February, after his 15-year-old pit bull-lab mix Poh was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Rodriguez and his fiance decided to make it as fun as possible for Poh (and himself) by taking the pooch on a cross-country road trip, stopping in 35 cities and driving over 12,000 miles. "It was a great trip," Rodriguez told ABC News. "I got to spend seven weeks with Poh. At first, I did not think he'd make it two weeks, but he did."

Rodriguez, who adopted an eight-week-old Poh from an animal shelter in 1999, was told by doctors that Poh had just days or weeks to live due to numerous tumors and kidney failure. Rodriguez had a gig in Arizona coming up, but he didn't want to leave Poh at home. "I initially wanted to get him to the Pacific Ocean," he told ABC. "I have always wanted him to swim. He loved it, it was so healing for him. It was like he was five years younger. He was walking with a lot of energy."

Poh was given a daily IV drip, and often stuck to his cart, but he was in good spirits for the adventure. Rodriguez started an Instagram account to keep track of all the places they went; it has gained over 65K followers. Rodriguez believes his story has resonated with other dog owners: "My life is kind of hectic," Rodriguez said. "I'm always traveling, but Poh is my home, my child...[other owners] wish they could do stuff like this with their dog and spend these moments, but sometimes life gets in the way."

"I am super blessed that I have actually gotten to do this," he added. "People think I take care of Poh, but Poh takes care of me."