Woman Drives 8 Hours to Rainbow Bridge Dog Memorial to Honor Late Chihuahua: 'One Last Adventure' (Exclusive)

Melanie Garcia adopted Nala, a Chihuahua, when she was 20 and in the military

• Melanie Garcia adopted Nala, a Chihuahua, when she was 20 and in the military

• In June, Garcia put Nala to sleep after she was diagnosed with cancer

• After putting her dog down, Garcia traveled to the Rainbow Bridge — a memorial at Lake Lure Flowering Bridge in North Carolina to honor her pup

Melanie Garcia always joked that her dog Nala was a "dog in a human's body."

Garcia, a veteran, adopted Nala, a Chihuahua, when she was 20 and in the military. Over the years, they became best friends, sharing countless adventures — from beach outings and playing in the sand to traveling across the country.

Nala was Garcia's first dog she owned as an adult — the first one she truly had to care for and understand what it means to be a dog parent. So, when Garcia received the news from the vet in June that Nala had cancer, she was devastated.

"I was really surprised and confused," Garcia, now 31, recalls to PEOPLE exclusively. "I was like, 'What do you mean? What's going on?' I was completely thrown off and scared. I had a feeling something was wrong because of how she had been acting."

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Garcia inquired about possible treatments and medications. At 10 years old, Nala was also diagnosed with a heart condition, which further complicated her situation.

Despite treatments, and after watching Nala struggle with eating and bowel movements for months, Garcia decided she didn’t want her dog to suffer or spend her remaining days in pain.

"I had to make the decision to put her down," Garcia says. "We did it at home, which was really beautiful."

"The company we used was incredibly kind," she adds. "They did not rush us or anything. They just let us have as much time as we needed."

After Nala's death, Garcia wanted to honor her with one last adventure. She searched Pinterest for ideas and discovered the Rainbow Bridge — a memorial at Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, inspired by the Rainbow Bridge poem, in North Carolina. The bridge is adorned with collars, leashes and other cherished items left behind by people to honor their pets.

On June 15, Garcia packed a bag, gathered her other dog, a black Labrador named Maggie, whom she adopted three years ago, and set off on an 8-hour drive to the bridge, bringing with her a special collar to leave behind in Nala's memory.

"I had a different collar made," Garcia shares. "I'm too sentimental to leave her actual collar behind. I got a new collar and had a dog tag made with her name and dates. On the back, I printed out the different nicknames we called her and other special memories we shared."

When Garcia and Maggie arrived at the lake later that day, she was overwhelmed with emotion as she walked down the steps to the bridge. She noticed a little box of collars for visitors who might have forgotten to bring one.

"I was fortunate that there was nobody else there at that time, so I had all the time I needed to take it in," she says. "I stayed for a while and said my goodbyes."

"Seeing the bridge in real life was both shocking and beautiful," she adds. "The bridge felt like a happy place despite the reality of the situation. I was amazed by how many collars were there, but it was heartwarming to see all the personal touches. Some collars had pictures of the dogs or even QR codes that, when scanned, showed videos or special moments. It was truly a beautiful experience."

Garcia documented her journey to the bridge on TikTok for her family and friends. While she didn’t expect her video to gain much attention, it has since garnered over 3.4 million views and 2,500 comments.

She says she has found healing and support through the comments, which are filled with other pet owners sharing similar experiences.

"I did not realize the impact it would have and how much comfort it would bring," she says. "Unfortunately, many people can relate to that video or have the heart and kindness to understand the feeling."

"It's been incredibly kind," Garcia adds. "Even now, random strangers who visit the bridge sometimes send me screenshots of Nala's collar or create their own TikToks to share their stories."

Although Garcia plans to visit the memorial again in the future, she admits that she is still processing her loss. She adds how, since returning from North Carolina, Maggie hasn't left her side, which has kept her going through difficult times.

"I hope that in time it gets a little bit easier to talk about," she says. "I’m still kind of in the denial phase of it."

"Nala genuinely loved people more than other dogs," Garcia says. "It didn’t matter who you were; she would come over, put her head on your heart and almost hug you. She always just wanted to hang out and be around people."

"Everyone used to say they didn't like Chihuahuas, but after meeting Nala, they changed their minds," she adds. "She wasn't your average dog. She was incredibly special and so loving."

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