Tom Antonino lives in Georgia, United States, with his wife and dog Cocoa. This family enjoys visiting the Virginia Beach Pier, which has become a family tradition for many years. Cocoa, a 16-year-old Chesapeake Retriever, lost her ability to move about easily, so her father decided to make her a movable bed so she could enjoy her final beach trip.
Cocoa’s family was determined to give her a normal life in her final days. That’s when Tom had the wonderful idea of making a handcrafted mobile bed to transfer their pet dog to their favorite area with ease and comfort.
CREDIT: Facebook/ Carrie Copenhaver
Cocoa’s father, Tom, told WTKR, a local news station:
“My wife and I devised a technique to take her on a walk using a motorized vine and other such devices. We had a rope and a bed, so we assembled everything and transported it.”
CREDIT: Facebook/ Carrie Copenhaver
Tom and his wife Lauren rushed to take Cocoa to the Virginia Beach oceanfront to see the sunset after they completed building the mobile bed.
CREDIT: Facebook/ Carrie Copenhaver
Carrie Copenhaver stopped the pair and snapped images of them, which then later shared on her Facebook account.
The lady wrote:
“A few weeks back, Mike and I were riding our bikes along the boardwalk when we saw this man walking beside his beloved cat.”
Carrie continued:
“She’s not very adept with her legs, so she drags this bed she created to enjoy the beach smell.”
CREDIT: Facebook/ Carrie Copenhaver
Tom, who has no social media accounts, had no idea that his photo with Cocoa would become global.
CREDIT: Facebook/ Carrie Copenhaver
Unfortunately, Tom and his wife’s thoughtful gesture toward Cocoa was one of their final excursions together; the dog perished long after that nice stroll. However, Tom claims that his particular bond with Cocoa will last forever.