Family Takes Dying Pit Bull To See The Ocean For The First And Last Time


A photographer has revealed an amazing series of images documenting her trip to the Maryland seaside with her beloved pit bull, who saw the ocean for the first and last time.

Zhenia Bulawka documented the special trip, which she and her boyfriend Christian took last August with their three dogs, according to the Daily Mail. Their day at the ocean was undertaken in honor of one of their pit bulls, Dyuki (Mr. Dukes), who was suffering through the final stages of Grade III mast cell cancer. In a post on the Dodo, Bulawka noted that the pit bull’s favorite activity was swimming in the family’s pool, and they wanted to make sure that he was able to see the ocean before he passed away.

Bulawka recalled that as soon as the pair pulled up to the ocean with their three dogs, rain began to fall. Paying no mind to the drizzle, however, the group headed onto the beach, and as they were the only ones in sight, let Ruby, another of their pit bulls, off her leash to play in the surf.

In one of the images, the pit bull can be seen waiting patiently to share a sandwich with Christian. Bulawka posed with the dogs in another, staring off into the distance, “people watching.” Once off the beach, Bulawka related that the sun came out again, in time for the group to catch a beautiful sunset from their hotel balcony.

“We spent the night in Ocean City, which is only 15 minutes from Assateague. It was a great hotel, with wonderful service, and they love pit bulls!”

An evening on the beach with her beloved pit bull brought the night to a close for Bulawka, as they watched the glow of the hotel lights while walking across the cool sand. Just a month after the special trip, however, Dukes the pit bull succumbed to his condition. Bulawka ended her post with a touching tribute to the pit bull, recalling how much he affected her life.

“Dukes was my best friend. He was also my muse, as his passion for life served as a constant source of inspiration to me. I could never tire of photographing him. Since his passing, I’ve been told numerous times ‘how lucky Dukes was to have me.’ But in fact, it was me who was so lucky to have him. He was the smartest, funniest, most loyal, incredibly strong, yet equally sensitive dog—all wrapped into one perfect pittie package. He changed my life and I will miss him forever.”

Recently, another unique pit bull took the internet by storm. As the Inquisitr previously reported, Rami, an unusual mix of dachshund and pit bull, has since become an ambassador for shelter dogs.

[Image: Zhenia Bulawka via the Daily Mail]

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