By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-27 20:11:40 | Updated at 2025-04-04 00:22:08
1 week ago
A dying Labrador named Honey had her last wish granted by kind truck drivers who offered to take her for a ride.
The dog came into a local nonprofit's care after her owner, Gabe, died. The geriatric dog was already 14 and her caretakers wanted to make her last days special.
Street Outreach Animal Response (SOAR) in Indianapolis, Indiana, put out a call for truck drivers who would be willing to take Honey for a ride.
'If you've been following updates on Honey, it's no surprise that we've been anticipating her life with us to be shorter than we want, but trying to remain optimistic,' SOAR wrote in a social media post.
'Honey used to ride in a semi truck with her dad in her younger days, and nothing gets her more pumped up than hearing an engine fire up with the question, 'you wanna go bye bye?''
The post continued that Honey was nearing the end of her life, and asked if any truck drivers would be willing to take her out and stop for her favorite meal, Wendy's chicken nuggets.
To the organizer's surprise, the post took off and they received an overwhelming amount of offers to take Honey for a ride along.
Since Honey had so many offers, SOAR decided to connect with multiple truck drivers and fill up the weekend with rides for the Labrador.
Kind truck drivers in Indiana responded to a call to help fulfill a dying dog's final wish
Organizers with SOAR said Honey used to ride in trucks with her owner and she lit up at the opportunity to get back in one
Honey, a 14-year-old Labrador came into the nonprofit's care after her owner, Gabe, died
Honey went on her first ride with a woman named Sharon, a truck driver with a logistics company.
SOAR shared a video of Honey getting lifted into the truck and sitting by the driver's seat as she calmly awaited the stop at Wendy's.
Another truck driver named Robert Axum also answered the call, telling local ABC affiliate, WRTV, that it was surprising to see the community come together and rally for Honey.
'I'm a big animal lover and anything that can make an animal happy, I'm all the way in on that,' he added.
Honey ended up taking three rides from Friday to Sunday and then two more on Monday. SOAR connected with her owner's family so that they could be there for her final ride.
Angela Hopson, the executive director of SOAR, told WRTV, that the random acts of kindness helped the traumatized dog, who had come under the organization's care just hours after her owner died.
'It's affirming. I know some people think it's silly to do all this for a pet before they pass, but it has been transformative for her happiness,' she said.
David Bishop, another organizer at SOAR, added, 'We, unfortunately, didn't get to honor the human or get to see them get back together, so to be able to see her go off and be honored in the way that she loved to be with him is pretty exciting.'
SOAR was overwhelmed with the offers from truck drivers to take Honey for a ride along and decided to organize more than one trip
Truck driver Robert Axum was touched by the community response to help Honey and said that as an animal lover, he was happy to take the dog for a ride
Honey not only got to go for multiple rides, but the truck drivers also stopped at Wendy's for her favorite chicken nugget meal
On Monday, SOAR shared on social media that Honey had died after her final ride. They shared a video of Honey with Gabe and wrote, 'We wish we could've met him while he was here, and it was our honor to serve Honey while she waited to join him.'
'Thank you to our community for all they have done to honor Gabe & Honey.'
The post was flooded with comments from the public praising the organization for giving Honey a proper send-off.
'I am not crying. I am bawling. Thank you for all you did for Honey and what you do for all the others,' one comment read.
'Safe travels to adventures unknown, Honey. I know thanks to people like SOAR and animal lovers who stepped up to support you, you left with a full heart,' another wrote.
'Ghost Riders in the Sky. Rest easy, Gabe and Honey. Thank you to everyone who honored the love these two had in such an incredible way,' a third added.
