Man Takes Cancer-Stricken Dog on Epic Cross-Country Trip
A dog with cancer is living his final days to the fullest, thanks to his owner.
A Nebraska man named Robert Kugler has taken his chocolate lab, Bella, who's battling cancer, on a whirlwind trip around the U.S.
Kugler adopted Bella nine years ago and learned in May that she had advanced osteosarcoma which had made its way into her lungs. Doctors said she had 3-6 months to live and amputated her leg. That's when Kugler, a Marine veteran, elected to put off getting a job and put his plan into action, taking Bella with him as they traveled the country. And indeed they have traveled, starting in Chicago and hitting Niagara Falls, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Florida.
They stay in Kugler's camper or with friends and have made new friends with people they meet along the way.
KUgler says he hopes their journey is a wake-up call to others. "I just saw firsthand what happens when you don't do what you want to do in your life and that's that you don't get to do it,” he says.
You can follow their adventures on Kugler's website or Instagram.