David Fine is facing the end of his life — but his greatest concern isn’t for himself. It’s for someone he loves even more: his dog, Babs.
The 63-year-old from Plainville, Massachusetts, has been given just months to live after a terminal cancer diagnosis.
But instead of focusing on his own fate, David’s dying wish is to ensure his beloved companion finds a safe, loving home.
Babs, a Shar-Pei/Boxer mix, has been by David’s side for a decade. He rescued her from a shelter 10 years ago, and since then, the two have been inseparable.
“I had told myself I was never going to get another pet because it breaks my heart to lose them,” David told WJAR. “Unfortunately, she’s going to outlive me this time.”
After years of health struggles — including leukemia, vascular disease, and now stage 4 lung cancer — David made the difficult choice to forgo treatment in favor of quality over time.
With what little time he has left, he has one mission: to find Babs a forever family.
“She is the most important thing at this point,” David said. “My fate is sealed, but hers is not.”
For David, who has no children, Babs is everything. Letting her go, he says, is like “trying to find a home for your child.”
David hopes to find Babs a home before he enters hospice. He wants to be there to help ease her transition, to comfort her as she moves to a new chapter.
“It’ll kill me to give her up,” he admits, “but I’ll rest at peace knowing she’s okay.”
Animal rescuer Jennie Mann is helping David fulfill his wish. She’s taken to social media to share his story, carefully screening potential adopters.
“His dog is his life,” Jennie wrote in a Facebook post. “He can’t be laid to rest until he knows his baby will be taken care of when he’s gone.”
She described Babs as a sweet, affectionate dog with no behavioral problems — but she needs to be the only pet in the home.
Jennie says David hopes Babs will know she hasn’t been abandoned, that her dad didn’t leave her — he just couldn’t stay.
As of May 10, the search is still ongoing. Many interested adopters either live too far away or already have pets, but David and Jennie remain hopeful the right match will come soon.
It’s a heartbreaking story, but also a testament to unconditional love. In his final days, David is putting his dog’s future above all else.
If you can help, or know someone who might be a match for Babs, please share this story — and help make a dying man’s wish come true.
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Dying veteran in hospice gets his final wish: to see his dog one last time
