This touching memorial to a dog by the name of Forrest spreads the joy of what Forrest loved most - chasing a ball on the beach with his beloved owners, John and Teri Hembree. It is located on Oxnard, California, and reads: “Forrest loved to play on this beach. Please feel free to borrow a ball and play with your dog. Please return it when you are done so others may play as well.”

Forrest had a rough start to life being an unwanted stray dog until he was 1-year-old and the Hembree family adopted him. His zest for life was uncontainable and they believed that nothing could slow this happy dog down until he was diagnosed with Canine Degenerative Myleopathy. This disease limited the mobility in his back legs and he had to start using a wheelchair. Regardless of this, Forrest would still go to his toybox and pick out a ball, ready to play. 

The wheelchair afforded Forrest one last year of a normal life following the diagnosis but it couldn’t prevent the inevitable - in May of 2015, Forrest was laid to rest and his owners thought that this would be a fantastic way to commemorate their playful dog.