When Vietnam War veteran John Vincent was admitted to hospice care, his only wish was to see his dog, Patch, one last time.
The 69-year-old was hospitalized in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before he was transferred to a nearby hospice facility, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, since Vincent has no nearby family members, Patch was taken to Albuquerque’s Animal Welfare Department.
Upon arriving at the VA facility, Vincent asked Amy Neal, a social worker at the hospice center, if there was any way he could hang out with his dog. Neal immediately contacted the Animal Welfare Department to see what the possibilities were.
“When the request came in, it was an immediate ‘absolutely,’ and let’s do whatever we can to get it done,” Animal Welfare director Danny Nevarez said, according to the Albuquerque Journal. “It was as simple as getting Patch over here.”
Vincent was able to cuddle with Patch one last time on Thursday at the Hospice Center at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, according to Fox.
“Yeah, that’s me, that’s daddy,” Vincent said as his dog Patch licked his face, the Albuquerque Journal reported. “Are you happy to see me? I’m so happy to see you.”
Adam Ricci, chief of field operations at the city’s Animal Welfare Department, said they left Patch with Vincent all day so “they could spend one last day together.”
The Animal Welfare Department shared photos of the reunion on Facebook Friday saying, “It was an honor to make this veteran’s final wish come true.”
People across the country have expressed interest in adopting Patch since the story went viral, according to CNN. The shelter said it had found the dog new owners and that he would travel to a new home soon.