Family works to complete bucket list for terminally ill dog

<p>The owners of a terminally ill dog have been working nonstop to complete a bucket list for their pet.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jun 14, 2018, 2:29 AM

Updated 2,133 days ago

Share:

The owners of a terminally ill dog have been working nonstop to complete a bucket list for their pet.
Bobbie Jo and Jeff Ledford say that their St. Bernard “Odin” was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, and was given only months to live.
“We realized he had a bump on his leg and we brought him to the vet,” says Bobbie Jo. “They said that he’d have only six months to live.”
The family says that they considered amputation and chemotherapy, but say they did not want to ruin Odin’s quality of life.
"They said if I did chemo that he'd only live for a year and I just felt I've seen humans go through chemo and they're not the same and I want him to be the happy puppy he is,” Bobbie Jo says.
So Bobbie Jo and her husband created a list of things that Odin absolutely had to do before he passed away. The list included a trip to Lake George and even a stop at Hooters
News 12 New Jersey caught up with Odin and his family Wednesday as he completed another item on the list: eat ice cream. It was a task that was complete thanks to family friend Tracy Broderick who saw the list on Facebook.
"I said if he likes ice cream he needs to come to my sister’s place,” Broderick says.
Broderick’s sister runs the Whistle Stop in Waldwick. Odin was treated to a vanilla sundae with dog bones.
Broderick says that it was the least that they could do.
"They give us a happy day every day.  We wake up, they make us happy.  They live for us.  And any day we can give a little piece of that back.  That's the best,” she says.
Bobbie Jo says that the list has been therapeutic for her and her family as well as for Odin.
"When I made the bucket list it made us closer and happier.  I don't have time to cry. We are doing things,” she says.
The list has been expanding thanks to suggestions from other friends and Facebook followers.
The family hopes that Odin will get to visit Yankee Stadium – another item on the list.


More from News 12
1:45
West Islip H.S. student to face a judge after bringing gun, bullets to school

West Islip H.S. student to face a judge after bringing gun, bullets to school

2:49
Sunny with highs near 70 today; cooler, wet weather to end the week

Sunny with highs near 70 today; cooler, wet weather to end the week

0:30
Police: 23-year-old charged for scrawling antisemitic graffiti in East Meadow

Police: 23-year-old charged for scrawling antisemitic graffiti in East Meadow

0:40
More than 200 pizzerias on LI band together to raise money for fallen NYPD detective

More than 200 pizzerias on LI band together to raise money for fallen NYPD detective

2:05
‘Wastewater Olympics’ held today in East Rockaway ahead of Earth Day

‘Wastewater Olympics’ held today in East Rockaway ahead of Earth Day

1:50
Made on Long Island: Ronance Mouthwatering Morsels in Bellmore

Made on Long Island: Ronance Mouthwatering Morsels in Bellmore

2:23
State budget makes no change to foundation school aid; governor signals changes coming in 2026

State budget makes no change to foundation school aid; governor signals changes coming in 2026

1:43
Police: Several people hurt in Garden City bus crash

Police: Several people hurt in Garden City bus crash

1:32
Nassau Community College professors call on state to step in to help school survive

Nassau Community College professors call on state to step in to help school survive

1:56
State officials: More chemical drums could be buried beneath Bethpage baseball field

State officials: More chemical drums could be buried beneath Bethpage baseball field

1:33
Groundbreaking ceremony marks beginning of Jake's 58 Casino's $210M expansion project

Groundbreaking ceremony marks beginning of Jake's 58 Casino's $210M expansion project

1:32
Nassau residents deliver petition with more than 1,600 signatures against proposal to deputize residents

Nassau residents deliver petition with more than 1,600 signatures against proposal to deputize residents

Police: Driver arrested for fatal Brentwood hit-and-run

Police: Driver arrested for fatal Brentwood hit-and-run

0:26
Police: Central Islip business cited for violation after State Liquor Authority investigation

Police: Central Islip business cited for violation after State Liquor Authority investigation

1:39
Paws & Pals: Dogs up for adoption at Almost Home Animal Rescue

Paws & Pals: Dogs up for adoption at Almost Home Animal Rescue

4:39
Guide: Ways to help you identify and deal with work burnout

Guide: Ways to help you identify and deal with work burnout

1:49
Officials: Fire dispatcher's wife alerts him about blaze at their Centereach home

Officials: Fire dispatcher's wife alerts him about blaze at their Centereach home

0:32
State police: Trooper conducting traffic stop rear-ended on Meadowbrook State Parkway

State police: Trooper conducting traffic stop rear-ended on Meadowbrook State Parkway

0:24
Police: Car crashes onto guardrail, overturns on LIE in Brentwood; driver injured

Police: Car crashes onto guardrail, overturns on LIE in Brentwood; driver injured