Just how hard it is to say goodbye? Well, if this dog and his rescuer are any indication, it’ not easy… but it can be beautiful.

Hippo was a stray dog who was too sick to be saved from death’s clutches.

He had tumors all over his face and all other signs to show that he had a rough life in the past. Everyone knew that his life was ending – very soon.

But a 19-year-old girl named Sophiane Nacer, who is also the founder of Cayleb’s Kindred Senior Dog Rescue was determined to give the poor dog both love and affection before he finally went.

She adopted Hippo and vowed to give him only the best for the remaining days of his painful life.

“Even if it was just for a day,” Nacer told TODAY.

Hippo was rescued and brought to the Adams County Animal Shelter in Colorado.

The vets from the shelter found him to be “obviously in failing health with multiple tumors,” Jim Siedlecki, the shelter’s spokesperson, told TODAY.

Under state law, Hippo was required to be at the shelter’s custody for five days.

Nacer, whose nonprofit specializes in helping ill senior dogs, got Hippo out on Oct. 18 — after waiting for that period to be through.

Just by looking at the helpless condition of the dog, Nacer was not even sure if he would like to be touched because his skin seemed to be too painful to caress. His skin was in pretty bad condition, and she thought that bringing him on any kind of adventure wasn’t such a good idea.

But everything changed when she saw Hippo wag his tail.

Hippo, although he looked very sick, didn’t give up on life without giving it a good fight. He decided to have fun on his last day on Earth.

He had car rides where he felt free, he had some walks at the park, and he met a couple of new friends.

Then they went to Starbucks to have a special ‘puppuccino’, he also drank from the lake.

Given his condition, she would normally not allow him to drink from the lake but she gave the sick pooch the freedom to do almost anything that he wanted to.

After a few hours of adventure, Hippo got tired.

He was happy that he had another (and probably last) chance to have fun, to be wild and free. He never thought that he would be given love after spending so much time alone.

It was a short-lived adventure, though, because he was too sick to continue the fun.

He eventually gave Nacer the sign that he was ready to go.

Nacer brought Hippo home. She contacted a veterinarian who specializes in at-home euthanasia and he came over.

The vet specialist brought a roasted chicken for his last meal. He gobbled it up and slept peacefully – forever.

It was a heartbreaking scene to witness but it was for his own good. He was finally free of pain and suffering.

“We got a good day,” Nacer said. “He loved it.”

He was given eternal peace by his newfound best friend and mom. Nacer was glad that she was beside Hippo before he left. She was happy to give this pooch what he deserved and that was love. It’s definitely not a goodbye for her, but rather a “till we meet again.”

Let this be a wakeup call to all dog owners and those who plan on having one. Senior dogs need love as much as pups do. May all dogs leave this world with a happy heart, just like Hippo.

You can watch Hippo’s last adventure in the video below.

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Source: I Love My Dog So Much, Cayleb’s Kindred Senior Dog Rescue