A dog’s life is short compared to a human’s, and many of us have experienced the heartbreak of having to say goodbye to a beloved pet.
But one man decided to give his dog a beautiful final send-off with the help of his community.
A boxer-pitbull mix named Mellow was recently diagnosed with a fast-spreading Lymphoma that would soon take his life. Knowing his dog’s days were numbered, owner Kevin Curry, from Dupont, Pennsylvania, knew he had to make them extra special.
“He hasn’t given me one bad day in my seven years,” Kevin told The Citizens Voice. “I don’t want him to have a bad day. I want him to say every single day since I was adopted was better than the last day.”
Kevin has been walking Mellow around his neighborhood twice a day every day since 2019, and many neighbors got to know the dog, giving him pets and treats. So he decided to let his neighbors know about Mellow’s illness — and let them say their own goodbyes.
“I wanted them to be aware of what he was going through because they meant so much to us during our walks,” Kevin said.
He placed a touching note in their mailboxes, announcing that Mellow would be taking his “last walk” around the neighborhood. Kevin hoped the neighbors would show up and help make Mellow’s final journey extra special.
“Regardless of how well we know each other, you have made my life so much richer than any rescue dog could have hoped for,” the note reads on behalf of Mellow. “I am so grateful to have such caring neighbors and live in a community that looks out for one another so well.”
The note said that Mellow would be taking his last walk on June 3 from 7-8 pm, with a map of his route. It asked anyone available to come out and give the old dog one last pat on the head or a rub on the belly.
Kevin also included a $5 bill with the note, asking neighbors to use it to buy a treat for a pet or donate to a local shelter.
Neighbors were extremely touched by the letter: Kelly Jordan Warunek called told Newsweek that it was “extremely heartbreaking and also heartwarming.” She later shared the story on social media, where it received nationwide attention.
While Kevin intended it to be a “small send-off” for his beloved dog, Mellow got a huge turnout for his final walk.
“There were groups of people at every corner of his route, waiting on him,” KJ Warunek wrote in the Dogspotting Facebook group. “But it was very respectful and people didn’t bombard him as to not overwhelm this sweet pup. So people stood back and just watched and weep.”
“There were at least 25 people [on the first block]. When I looked to the next block, there was another 20,” she told the New York Post. “I’m going to say that was how the whole walk went.” She added that Mellow was the “belle of the ball” and “pranced around.” He even got free ice cream from the local ice cream shop.
It sounds like Mellow’s final walk was an amazing one — thank you to everyone who made his last days so special and full of love 💔❤️
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