Steak dinners at the local pub and trips to the beach are just a few of the treats for the dogs who are seeing out their last days at Grey Muzzle Canine Hospice in Mansfield, England.
Nicola Coyle started the hospice in her home about a year ago but she’s been caring for dogs much longer.
She worked in dog rescue and was a nurse. When she retired she put all her energies into caring for dogs in the last days of their lives.
And the dogs she cares for get something they’ve never ever had before -- love, and lots of it.
(MORE: Volunteers help dog make 2,000-mile trek back home) (MORE: 'Hero' puppy recovering from snake bite after coming between rattler and dog owner)Coyle told ABC News that she can’t bear the thought of the dogs spending the last days of their lives without the love they deserve.
All the dogs Coyle looks after come from dog pounds, abandoned by their owners and left to fend for themselves. Dogs that are deemed to have six months or less to live, and would otherwise be put down, arrive at Cole’s door.
She now looks after two or three dogs at a time and arranges foster homes for others.
Coyle designs a bucket list for each dog that she welcomes into her home and this always includes a steak dinner at the local pub and a trip to the seaside.
Some get to go to a drive-thru McDonald's and even ride in a police car.
And every dog gets a birthday party with a cake. No one knows their real birthdays so Coyle invents them.
She says giving her dogs a beautiful end to their lives is very rewarding. And what a time they have.