SEATTLE'S MORNING NEWS

A dying man gets his wish, a loving home for his dog

Jan 30, 2018, 1:55 PM | Updated: Oct 1, 2024, 7:39 am

A Texas man with terminal cancer knows that his dying wish will come true thanks to the kindness of strangers on Facebook.

Walt Hollier has diagnosed with terminal liver cancer last Summer. Before he passed away he wanted to make sure his two dogs found loving homes.

RELATED: New England woman becomes “fairy godmother”

CBS Austin says one will go to a family member, but his red heeler “Doc” needed a more active environment.

“When I was diagnosed I was given 36 months. He loves people, he loves to run and he’s a red heeler and I thought I can’t die and have him in limbo,” Walt said.

So, he posted his mission to Facebook.

The post went viral and quickly racked up more than 60,000 shares. In the end, it was the Last Resort Recovery Center near his home that would take Doc. Doc will now help the men staying there as they learn to live sober. He dropped Doc off this past weekend.

“I cried down the dirt road. It was like cutting a cord. He’s like my child,” Walt said.

Despite the sadness, Walt says it’ll bring him great comfort when he dies to know Doc is loved. And to the thousands of others who reached out to Walt through the Facebook past, Walt says it’s renewed his faith in mankind.

If you have a Daily Dose of Kindness to share with Colleen, email her at cobrien@kiroradio.com.

You can hear Colleen O’Brien’s “Daily Dose of Kindness” segment every morning at 7:30 a.m. on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM.

FILE - The United States Court of International Trade is seen in front of the Jacob K. Javits Feder...

Associated Press

Small businesses file lawsuits against Trump’s new sweeping tariffs

NEW YORK (AP) — Trump’s tariffs are headed to court — again. Two lawsuits filed by small businesses are challenging Trump’s sweeping tariffs announced Thursday that impose double-digit levies on 60 trading partners. The tariffs, implemented under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 for what the Trump administration says is countries’ failure to […]

3 hours ago

Beach goers watch during the the 46th Annual California Surf Lifesaving Championships on Will Roger...

Associated Press

Heat dome expands across the central United States, creating dangerous conditions for millions

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dangerously hot weather will expand across much of the central United States this weekend and into next week, pushing temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) from Dallas to North Dakota with roughly 70 million people facing heat advisories. A heat dome, where atmospheric conditions trap heat, will create sustained high […]

3 hours ago

courthouse escapee snohomish county...

KIRO 7 News Staff

Deputies looking for Snohomish County courthouse escapee

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a 39-year-old who escaped the courthouse Friday afternoon when a judge told him he would be taken into custody.

4 hours ago

plane crash san juan islands...

Lexi Herda, KIRO 7 News

All but 3 passengers released from hospital after floatplane crash in San Juan Islands

All but three people have been released from the hospital after their floatplane crashed in the San Juan Islands on Thursday.

4 hours ago

Protesters march after a Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in ...

Associated Press

Wisconsin’s capital city cancels signature events, grapples with fallout from police shooting

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — In Wisconsin’s progressive capital city of Madison, where liberal residents have long embraced their history of political activism and protest, a police shooting this week has disrupted some of the largest and most popular summertime events and once again put the spotlight on persistent and deep racial divisions. Corey Ruiz, who […]

4 hours ago

Smoke rises from the Snyder Fire burning near Thompson Springs, Utah, on Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP...

Associated Press

4th firefighter dies from injuries in western Colorado blaze

A fourth firefighter has died from burns after he and several colleagues were overcome by a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border last month, officials said Saturday. Nathan Matthews, 43, died Friday, the federal Interior Department said in a release. He was from Lincoln, Nebraska. “This is another heartbreaking loss for our wildland fire family,” […]

5 hours ago

A dying man gets his wish, a loving home for his dog