Dood the Golden Retriever traveled across the country so he could be part of his owner's wedding - and jump in the sea for the first time.
When Cassidy Williams found out her beloved dog Dood had terminal cancer, she scrambled to organize one final family outing.
Thanks to some last-minute planning, Dood traveled across the country to be part of her beach wedding, where he got see the ocean for the first - and last - time.
Williams and her fiancée, Matthijs, had planned to marry in Oregon but because Dood lived with her parents in Utah, he was initially supposed to stay at home.
But in June, after the family discovered he had bone cancer and just months to live, the plans were rewritten.
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“Changing our plans to include him in the wedding was something I realized I wanted to do pretty immediately,” Williams told INSIDE EDITION. “But it did take some convincing with my family.”
Dood, a five-year-old Golden Retriever, had never even left Utah before, but Williams’ dad eventually agreed to cancel his flight so he could drive their pet across the country.
“It was a little risky for my dad to cancel his flight and commit to bringing Dood because we weren't sure what his condition would be, but we decided it was worth the risk,” she said.
Dood was confused on the drive and would cry whenever Williams’ father moved away from the car, but he was “so sweet and patient,” she said. Thirteen hours later, they made it to Oregon.
Photos show the incredible moment he paddled in the ocean for the first time – after an apprehensive first few minutes.
“At first he wasn't quite sure what to do,” Williams told INSIDE EDITION. “He kept trying to drink the water and was confused as to why it didn't taste like the water he was used to.”
But she said it also brought out his inner puppy.
“What was the most incredible was the energy he had,” she said. “He loves to play catch and normally my dad with throw the ball a couple times and he'll be tuckered out. But at the beach he had the most incredible endurance and enthusiasm.
“He probably fetched the ball 15 to 20 times before we finally decided we better be the one to end this because he would not stop.”
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As well as having his special moment, the pup helped create one for the couple - by being their ring bearer. Afterwards, he headed back to Utah with the family.
Now Williams is preparing to say goodbye to her Dood. She said that a tumor above his eye has doubled in size since the wedding.
“Dood is in good spirits but his cancer is growing so fast,” she said. “I'm going to Utah this weekend to say goodbye to him. It will be very hard.”
She added that his patience throughout the whole trip was a testament to how much of a good dog he has always been.
“Through it all, it was so clear how much he loved us,” she said. “As long as we were by his side, he was okay.”
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