Dying Dachshund Owner Vows to Make Each Day Count With 'Cancer Bucket List'

A dog owner who discovered her beloved dachshund had a matter of weeks to live has put together a "bucket list" of activities for them to do together.

Willy the wiener is due to turn 16 in just under a month's time. That's 80 in human years. Yet the painful reality for his owner is that Willy may not be around to see that milestone.

"Willy was diagnosed with lymphoma on June 7, 2023 and due to how advanced it was and having previous liver issues, chemo wouldn't have helped him," his owner, who asked not to be named, told Newsweek. "His vet said 4 to 8 weeks is the standard range they give for stage 4 lymphoma."

Cancer remains the leading cause of death among domesticated dogs, with a 2016 study from the academic publication The Veterinary Journal estimating that around one in three canines develop the disease in their lifetimes.

Willy was one of the unlucky ones, in that the severity of his condition only became clear when it was too late. But he's been lucky in other respects. Lucky to have enjoyed a life filled with love that began with his owner as a puppy and evolved into something extra special in the pandemic.

"During the pandemic and lockdown we started the TikTok for him as a fun distraction," his owner said. The account, Willy and Molly Sausage Dogs, followed the day-to-day lives of Willy and his dachshund sibling Molly. It was a huge help to his owners. "We found a lot of fellow dachshund owners/lovers and picked up helpful things for dogs in their senior years," she said.

Willy's owner said her dog's "main love in life is food" though he enjoys the odd nap. "Chicken is his favorite," she said. "He also likes to lay in the sunshine in the yard or near a window/door. With his age and the lymphoma tumors moving into his knees, mobility is lessened so he likes to go on stroller rides with breaks out of the stroller to sniff."

When his owner first learned of the severity of Willy's cancer, she was overcome with emotion. "Mainly sadness at thinking of all the things I wished I got to do with him," she said.

But then she came up with an idea to maximize the time they did have left together. "I started the bucket list the next day ... to make his remaining days memorable," she said. She then began to chronicle their bucket list adventures on the TikTok channel to "give others some ideas and help them realize they really don't always have the time they think they do."

Willy's love of food has been catered to, of course. He's eaten like a king—quite literally, in fact, with a trip to Burger King. He's also enjoyed his favorite chicken, eaten bone broth lollipops and roast beef sliders as well as being treated to his very own steak picnic. That's not even mentioning the puppuccino, french fries or turkey he's also enjoyed.

His owner has sought to create lasting memories of their life together too. They've taken nose and paw prints together, gone for walks and met up with old dog friends. Willy has enjoyed special cuddles with Molly, his canine companion in life, and even done a bit of peanut butter painting.

Throughout this time together, Willy's owner has always been eager to take suggestions from their followers on things to do. "The most recommended addition to his bucket list was going to the beach," she said. "The ocean is a bit far from Ohio so we did a walk by a river so he could sniff and hang out in the sand."

She's loved creating the stamps and prints of Willy's paws and nose, calling it a "great keepsake" though she's pretty sure she knows which bit he's enjoyed most so far. "The biggest reaction I saw was from the steak picnic. So I'm sure if he could answer he might say the steak picnic," she said.

Willy's owner has been trying to fit in as much as possible. "I just figured as long as he is feeling up to doing things we should do as much as we can," she said. But she knows time is running out and admits it's been "really difficult to see the decline."

"Willy's slowdown does seem to be starting a bit. [We are] just going to keep enjoying what we can," she said. Though she knows there will be difficult days to come, Willy's owner hopes her videos will inspire others in the same position to do similar for their pets.

"I'd absolutely love for people to do bucket lists and use any of Willy's list ideas with their pets," she said. Ultimately, she just wants others with older pets or terminal diseases to realize time is short. "Don't wait," she said.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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