A dying golden retriever that was taken on a "special last day" around town has made a miracle recovery.
After receiving the news that eight-year-old Maverick was losing his battle to cancer and had only days to live, his owners, Florida couple Joey and Allison Maxwell, decided to help their beloved pet "experience life to the fullest".
"We went to the vet and the vet said there was nothing left we could do for him," Mr Maxwell told 9news.com.au.
"We were looking at his last few days," he said.
"But my wife and I were sitting there depressed, in tears, trying to make sense of it all, and that’s not who we are.
"So, we wanted to come up with some way to get Maverick out, let him experience life to the fullest one last time."
But two weeks ago, Maverick lost the use of his back legs and was no longer able to walk.
"We knew we needed a wagon," Mr Maxwell said.
https://www.facebook.com/everybodylovesmaverick/videos/1135012549887182/
After going to a local hardware store to pick up a wagon that would carry Maverick through town, the 36-year-old and his wife ventured out.
"It's an interesting site, a 100-pound retriever rolling around on a wagon, people were surprised," he said.
"Everyone loved Maverick, he got lots of treats and attention, it was just a beautiful evening. The emotional connection really surprised us.
"There’s a lot of stress and negativity in the news with the US election so for just those few minutes, nothing mattered but that dog.
"There was nothing but love."
https://www.facebook.com/everybodylovesmaverick/videos/1129700453751725/
But what happened the next day was what surprised the couple the most.
"We were expecting a couple of hard days, but after our trip in the wagon that night, Maverick woke up the next day feeling better," he said.
"We took him back to the vet and she did a full exam and it turns out his cancer hasn't spread, he is still in remission and now we’re looking at long term care for the guy.
"I really believe that had we gone home that night and sat around the house and cried and let Maverick feel that energy, he would have felt the same and given up."
The couple, who rescued Maverick from a kill shelter in North Carolina, is now raising money to provide long term care for the dog.
In the meantime, the couple is still taking Maverick, who is not expected to regain use of his legs, out on the town in the wagon.
"I’d love to get him a custom-fitted wheelchair so we can get him out on that, instead of the wagon," he said.