Couple Takes Their 15-Year-Old Dog with Dementia to Park for His Last Day
For 15 beautiful years, Manolo wasn’t just a dog—he was family, a constant through every chapter of Coeli Fortun’s life. She met him when she was just 14, locking eyes with a little shih tzu who wasn’t even meant to be adopted due to partial blindness. But something clicked instantly. From that moment on, they were inseparable. Years later, when Coeli moved to Canada with her partner, Manolo and his best friend, Snuffles the cat, came too—because leaving him behind was never an option.
As time passed, Manolo began to slow down. What started as small changes turned into something much harder: early canine dementia, followed by painful physical decline. Still, Coeli and her partner did everything they could—physiotherapy, wheelchairs, stroller walks, endless love and care—holding onto every small win, every wag, every good day. But when Manolo’s pain became constant, they realized he was holding on for them. They realized that “Manolo is living for us, not for himself.” And the kindest thing they could do was let him go.
It was an agonizing decision, but one they knew in their hearts was the right one for Manolo.
So they decided to give him one final week filled with everything he loved—friends, treats, car rides, sunsets, and moments of pure joy. On his last day, they took him to his favorite park with a simple sign inviting strangers to share advice and give him a treat.
@chellyshoots Didn’t know what to expect from putting up a sign about my dog’s last day on a park bench but I’m so grateful we did it. I have never planned how I would spend the last day I had with my childhood dog but when he got really sick, I always knew that the one thing I’d miss is: sharing the joy he gave me, with others. This was such a perfect way to celebrate the life of a dog who truly loved spending time with people & their dogs. Run free & fast forever, Manolo. I will never stop missing you Thank you @healthybud @Crumps Naturals @TheTiltedBarnPetCompany ♬ original sound – chellyshoots
And people showed up—with kindness, stories, hugs, and understanding. And Manolo seemed at peace.
“Everyone cried, but all noticed the same thing too, Manolo seemed peaceful for the first time in a very long while,” Coeli said.
And those that stopped by shared advice, talked about their own dogs, and reassured them that Manolo would be welcomed in heaven when he crossed Rainbow Bridge.
She later shared on TikTok how agonizing the decision was and why she took time to truly evaluate Manolo’s quality of life. “When your dog can no longer do dog things that make him or her happy then its time to think about whether they’re living for you or whether they are still living for themselves and whether they’re still because they want to be here.”
@chellyshoots Replying to @goodixtyzhk thank you for wanting to learn more about our Manolo he was my 15 year old Shih Tzu that my family and I adopted (already partially blind in one eye) in Manila, and flew with us to Canada in 2022. He was a resilient pup who had arthritis, canine dementia, degenerative myelopathy, he has started to go deaf & blind, and his heart murmur worsened to grade 5 level due to the anxiety he felt everyday. For 4 months, right after our 20y.o. cat Snuffles died of cancer, Manolo’s dementia & degenerative myelopathy started to progress much quicker than his body was regaining strength from weekly physiotherapy & chiropractic sessions. He started out with nightly sundowning sessions, screaming & moaning. every single night, Manolo, my partner, and myself would only be able to fall asleep between the hours of 5am-8am, sometimes for an hour to 3 hours. Then it all quickly evolved to louder, more frequent screams, mixed with whining, that happened all throughout the day. This was in no way on overnight decision. We had spoken to our partners in Manolo’s care holistic vet, our vet techs, physiotherapists, our chiropractor, professional pet photographers over months about Manolo’s quality of life. Ultimately, we did a quality of life assessment which revealed that Manolo had a very poor quality of life, the only thing that made it go up in points was his appetite. Meal and snack time only made up how many hours in a day, in a week. The only time he felt happiest. This is all just tip of the iceberg but we hope this helps you understand our story. Please know we love(d) & care(d) for Manolo with everything (mental, emotional, physical, financial) that we had and are. @Toronto Dog Moms ♬ original sound – chellyshoots
In the end, Manolo left this world surrounded by love—the same love he gave so freely for 15 unforgettable years.