We woke up on day 32 with Bear not looking well at all. I mentioned in the previous post that he had gotten sick the day before. In the morning, he looked worse. We called the vet and got a 10:30 am appointment. We thought he had a stomach bug or another bout with pancreatitis, but we were not expecting the news we received. An x-ray and an ultrasound revealed a tumor wrapped around his spleen. The prognosis was not good. Our dear Bear had to be euthanized. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I’m still in shock. This was so unexpected. We were just playing tug of war and going on walks the day before.

We can’t imagine continuing on this trip without him. We worry about Zelda, our other dog, who just lost her best friend. It has been a very tough day to say the least.

It is always difficult to lose a pet. They are definitely family members. Losing him so suddenly with no warning and during our extended roadtrip feels extra painful. The rest of our trip won’t be the same without him.

Also, being so far away, none of our children or grandchildren got a chance to say goodbye to Bear.😫

I take solace in the fact that he was always happy and healthy right up until his last day. I also find comfort that he spent his last 30 days being with us all the time and having an epic adventure with us.

We will miss you so much, Bear! We love you!