Heartwarming: Woman adopts dying dog, takes him on bucket-list adventure

"He wasn't in the best shape," Elliott said of Chester, who is about 13 or 14 years old and has terminal cancer. "They bathed him and shaved away all of the matted, dirty hair. They found a very large tumor on his side and had it removed. Since then, they have shown up all over his body."

"I knew that it would be my responsibility to make his final days the best I could, to mine and his ability," she told WTVM. "I arrived before the shelter opened, and they let me in to get him. I fell in love the moment I saw him."

Right away, she planned several exciting surprises for the dog and shared them on a Facebook page called Chester's Final Journey. So far, Chester has gone on a shopping spree for treats and toys, taken an oatmeal bath, ridden in a car with the windows down, and munched on a Nathan's Hot Dog and doggie sundae. Next up? A nice dinner, beach day and birthday party. 

Read the full story here, and follow Chester's Final Journey on Facebook.