Shih Tzu with Cancer goes on Bucket List Road Trip with Owner

Zanna Canavan was determined to make the final days of her dog Charlie as memorable as possible. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that was inoperable, Zanna decided to take her Shih Tzu on a road trip across the beautiful countryside near her home in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. The road trip would allow Zanna and Charlie to bond even more while providing a scrapbook full of memories.

Zanna acquired Charlie, a Shih Tzu, when he was four years old. Over the next eight and a half years, Charlie became a faithful companion who loved to go for walks, car rides, and enjoy his favorite food, cheese. A normally quiet dog, Charlie became a big part of Zanna’s life. When Charlie started to have trouble walking and keeping his food down, Zanna took him to the vet believing it was the normal arthritic issues that often affect small dogs like Charlie.

Instead, she was told by the vet that Charlie has cancerous tumors in his chest, back legs, neck, and shoulders. The tumors were too extensive in Charlie’s system and nothing could be done for the dog except using painkillers to make him feel more comfortable. Zanna was devastated by the news and decided that Charlie would go on a big adventure before he passed away.

Accompanied by her friend Scott, Zanna and Charlie set out to visit some of the filming sites for the HBO series “Game of Thrones”. This was part of a bucket list that both Zanna and Charlie worked on to ensure that Charlie would enjoy the outdoors as much as possible for as long as he could. Plus, it would allow both of them to take pictures of Charlie to make a scrapbook.

With many of the outdoor locations within driving distance, Zanna, Charlie, and Scott visited the sites located in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Armagh, Newcastle, Newry, and more. Charlie seems to be having the time of his life seeing all the new places while Zanna and Scott get to witness some of the stunning locations for one of the more popular series in recent years.

Although the trip was limited to the filming locations for “Game of Thrones” in Northern Ireland, it became the big adventure that Zanna and Scott had hoped. While Charlie did struggle at times, he was thrilled to visit new places and be with those he loved. The trip also generated many memorable photos that will be cherished for the rest of Zanna’s life. Not all dogs get the send off that Charlie has managed to earn. And the adventure demonstrates the love that people have for their pets.

Today, Charlie is still alive, but is moving slower because of the cancer. The painkillers are making his life comfortable, but Zanna knows at some point when the pain becomes too much, she will have to let Charlie go. But she has managed to preserve the memory of her faithful Shih Tzu with some remarkable photos of him at locations around Northern Ireland.