Ronan The 1-Year-Old ‘Bucket List Dog’ Dies After Suffering Major Stroke

People around the world are mourning the loss of Ronan, a sweet one-year-old Labrador Retriever who passed away following a massive stroke.

Ronan has won the hearts of people around the world since being shared on social media by Hearts of Hope Dog Rescue in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The rescue took followers along on Ronan’s hospice journey as he attempted to check items off his bucket list.

The rescue announced his passing on July 31, 2023. They said, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share Ronan’s foster family had to let him go peacefully yesterday. Ronan suffered a massive stroke on Thursday and briefly lost complete function in his rear legs, which was devastating and terrified him. His foster mom said it best: ‘His body was failing him, but his personality still shined like the sun. There wasn’t a day that went by where Ronan wasn’t his happy-go-lucky self. He was a kind, gentle, goofy soul, and our family was spoiled with each day he was with us. I don’t know who was luckier.'”

During his time with Hearts of Hope, Ronan was able to complete 25 of the 32 things on his bucket list. Beyond that, he even did a few extra things that weren’t on the list!

The rescue said, “He truly lived and loved his best life.”

When Ronan first arrived at Hearts of Hope, the rescuers knew he was suffering from a vision problem. But after spending more time with him, they realized there was a bigger problem going on.

The rescue shared back in April, “Ronan’s foster mom noticed not only his very limited seeing, but he also has very limited hearing, a head tilt, circles counterclockwise, muscle wasting in his rear end, and ataxia (swaying and falling) in his rear end.”

After tests and blood panels were performed, the vet feared Ronan might be suffering from a brain tumor.

According to Fox 17, Ronan’s CT scan came back normal, but the dog suffered from strokes, and it was evident he’d had many strokes in his short life before arriving at the rescue.

The vet wasn’t sure how long Ronan would live. He could live a few weeks or a few months, but it was very unlikely he’d have a normal lifespan.

Ronan did make it to his first birthday, and he even got to have a birthday bash, which was one of the items on his bucket list!

Rest in peace, Ronan!