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Hound dog with terminal cancer fulfills his No. 1 bucket list request: Finding a home

By Dana Hedgpeth
August 2, 2018
By Dana Hedgpeth
August 2, 2018
Smoke, a 10-year-old hound dog. (Animal Welfare League of Arlington)
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Updated Thursday:

Good news! Smoke, the 10-year-old hound dog with terminal cancer, has filled the No. 1 request on his bucket list — finding a forever home.

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After a good “meet-and-greet” on Wednesday with a family and their dog to make sure the two animals got along, officials at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington said they finalized the adoption papers for the pooch to go home with his new family.

And Smoke got another bucket-list wish fulfilled — going to Nats Park. He went there Thursday morning.

Samuel Wolbert, president and chief executive of the animal welfare group in Arlington, said his team was happy that Smoke had found his forever home and that the family who took him in has experience with older rescue animals.

“We’re so happy Smoke found his forever home,” Wolbert said. He “can live out the rest of his life like all dogs should — with a family that loves him.”

Wolbert said Smoke was diagnosed a few weeks ago with terminal cancer after a mass was found on his face. A biopsy showed it to be cancerous. It’s not known exactly how long Smoke has left.

Original post Aug. 1

Poor Smoke.

The 10-year-old hound dog has terminal cancer, so caregivers at Arlington’s animal shelter and humane society made him a bucket list.

No. 1: Find a new home.

(Cue the tissues.)

A roughly one-minute video shows Smoke — a black, white and brown hound dog — wagging his tail, barking and walking with a stuffed toy at the facility.

On Thursday, shelter officials had good news. Smoke had found his forever home.

Two families had volunteered to take Smoke home and one came with their dog on Wednesday evening to do a “meet-and-greet” with him to make sure the two dogs would get along. They did and the family officially adopted him.

“Smoke is very popular,” said Samuel Wolbert, president and chief executive of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Shelter officials described Smoke in a July 26 post on Facebook as a “ridiculously handsome hound” who has been at the facility for about a month. But they got “sad news” about Smoke’s health.

“We don’t know how long Smoke has left with us — it could be six months, or it could be just a few weeks,” they wrote. “What we do know is that Smoke deserves to live the rest of the time he has left in a home, with a family that loves him.”

Then they posted his bucket list:

  1. Find a forever family.
  2. Go on a hike.
  3. Eat ice cream.
  4. Go to the beach.
  5. Have a birthday party.
  6. Ride in a firetruck.
  7. Eat a cheeseburger.
  8. Have breakfast in bed.
  9. Meet a celebrity.
  10. Ride in a police car and bay with the sirens.
  11. Get a full-body doggy massage.
  12. Go camping.
  13. Meet Santa.
  14. Be on TV.
  15. Jump in a big pile of leaves.
  16. Get a professional photo shoot.
  17. Go on a road trip.
  18. Get his own Instagram account.
  19. Ride in a convertible.
  20. Get a huge box of toys to play with and share with his shelter friends.
  21. Visit Washington Nationals Park. (Maybe throw the first pitch?)

Smoke even has his own Twitter following. He uses the hashtag #SmokesBucketList and #FindSmokeAHome.

Some of his bucket list wishes have come true. A supporter of the animal group bought him a cheeseburger. A video showed him wolfing it down. Smoke also likes spray cheese from a can.

And Smoke crossed another item off his list — a ride in a firetruck.

The Arlington County Fire Department took him on a ride. Like any good hound dog, he looked out the window and let his ears flap in the wind. And he got some pets from firefighters as he rode.

Plus, some local TV stations have covered his story.

Millions of dogs need homes. Why is it sometimes hard to adopt one?

Keepers at the shelter had noticed a mass on Smoke’s face a few weeks ago. A biopsy found it to be cancerous.

Wolbert said, given Smoke’s age and condition, it would take expensive care to deal with his illness. A family who adopts him would be responsible for his ongoing health costs.

Wolbert said Smoke is not in pain and that’s why they wanted to find him a “forever” home.

“He’s a happy, lovable dog, and he deserves a home,” Wolbert said. “He deserves to spend his remaining days with a family that loves him.”

During the weekend, shelter officials said Smoke visited with potential adopters. But that family’s dog and Smoke didn’t get along too well, so Smoke returned to the shelter.

Officials at the shelter also said they’ve been “overwhelmed by the amazing amount of support and love” that’s been shown to Smoke. They had received “so many offers to take him on outings” that they were working on a sign-up schedule. The video of Smoke has been viewed 18,000 times on Facebook.

On social media, there has been lots of support. One woman offered to make a prayer blanket for him. Another said she knew someone who would probably do a photo shoot. Someone else offered toys for him and his pup friends at the shelter.

More people are adopting old dogs. Really old dogs

Rebecca Sandi Bellot said: “Please let me know if it doesn’t work out with the family that took him over the weekend. We would love to meet him and help him cross off all the items on his bucket list!”

Katie Walker wrote on Facebook, “Aww, poor Smoke.” She said she met him and that he was “such a vocal and sweet boy.” And, she said, “his tail was wagging like crazy when I was talking to him.”

“I hope he finds a home to live out the rest of his days peacefully.”

Wolbert said since Smoke’s story has gained popularity they were close to crossing one more thing off his bucket list — possibly going to a Nationals game.

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