Terminally ill dog sees ocean for first time, plays sweet role in couple's wedding


Just one month before her August beach wedding in Oregon, Cassidy Williams received some heartbreaking news: Her family's 5-year-old dog, Dood, had terminal cancer.

"We scrambled to figure out what to do," Williams, 29, told CNN.

But Williams and her parents, who adopted the beloved golden retriever as a puppy, came up with a plan to make Dood's final days count – and include him in her special day. Williams' father drove the pooch 13 hours from his home in Utah to the wedding site in Manzanita, Oregon. There, Dood, looking dapper in a bow tie, served as the couple's ring bearer and saw the ocean for the first time.

"He was so happy," Williams told CNN. "He had so much energy. He did a fantastic job as the ring bearer."

Although Williams, who will head to Utah soon to say her final farewell to the family pet, is devastated, she said seeing Dood's happy moments at the beach was "priceless."

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