Neighbours come out and say goodbye to terminally ill dog on his ‘final walk’
'Thanks again for all the love you have shown over the past four years. Hope to see you Saturday and thank you for making my life so good.'
More than 100 people came out to join a terminally ill dog on his ‘final walk’ around the block after his owner posted a heart-breaking invite that left many in tears.
Kelly Warunek was given a note by a friend last week from a dog owner called Kevin asking neighbours to say goodbye to Mellow before he leaves for ‘doggie heaven’ following a cancer diagnosis.
The note, dropped into local letterboxes, describes how they all made the Pitbull-mix’s life ‘richer’ and invites them to greet him in person on his farewell stroll with a belly rub or pat on the head.
Kelly said she and her husband Mark, 47, drove an hour across town to say their goodbyes.
She described the huge turnout as one of the most ‘heart-warming and heart-breaking’ things she has ever seen.
Kelly, from Dupont, Pennsylvania, US, said: ‘As soon as I saw the note I started crying, I’m an animal lover, I’m a big sucker. I thought it was the saddest thing I’d read.
‘The walk was about an hour from my house. We got to the first corner that Mellow came to.
‘I stood back and cried, then I got out of the car and went over to pet him. I said hello to Kevin. I walked away and cried again.
‘People were lining the streets for about an hour’s walk. I couldn’t believe how many people had turned up. There were people the whole way with their kids and their dogs.
‘It was happy and sombre at the same time. People were petting him, giving him treats. The crying people stood back to not upset him, it was heart-breaking.
‘Mellow was so happy, he knew that everyone was there for him. His tail was wagging, his tongue hanging out. Mellow went and got an ice-cream.
‘He was very happy to see all of the neighbours. Kevin wasn’t really emotional, he tried to keep it together. He was enjoying his dog getting all the attention.
‘It’s the most heart-warming and heart-breaking story. It was wonderful.
‘The neighbourhood was just so sweet about it. He’s a national treasure now, the whole world loves Mellow.’
Kelly says she gave her two Rottweilers Lincoln and Sarge the ‘biggest hug’ when she got home and revealed the story was all the more upsetting for her as she lost a dog to cancer 10 years ago.
Kevin's touching invite in full
My name is Mellow and I’ve been living in Dupont since September 2019 with my owner Kevin.
Although we live on [street name redacted], you may have noticed us walking in the neighbourhood twice a day, every day – rain, snow or shine.
Some neighbours may have pet me or given me treats, others I may only know through their own dogs who say hello to me as we pass by.
Regardless of how well we know each other, you have made my life so much richer than any rescue dog could have hoped for.
I’m so grateful to have such caring neighbours and live in a community that looks out for one another so well.
To show gratitude for your kindness, I am including a small token of appreciation. Please use this on your own animals if you have any or buy a treat for a pet you know or donate to the local shelter to help dogs like me!
I have definitely slowed down throughout the years and unfortunately that is why you are receiving this letter.
I was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and will be leaving for doggie heaven in June.
I’m not sure exactly when I will go but each day over the last few weeks has been a struggle for me to get around the neighbourhood like I’m used to.
Therefore, while I still can, I will be marching around the neighbourhood on Saturday June 3rd from 7pm to 8pm and would love to say goodbye to you face to face if you are available.
Come out and pat me on the head and rub my belly and I will be forever grateful (I love people after all!)
I put a map of our walk on the back and the times I think I may pass by your house (I may be slower though, apologies if I’m late).
As for my owner, once I pass on, he probably won’t go for as many walks as we do now and so you may not see him around as often.
I know he will miss seeing you all and especially the other pets in the neighbourhood, as much as I will.
Thanks again for all the love you have shown over the past four years.
Hope to see you Saturday and thank you for making my life so good.
Kelly posted a photo of the invite on Facebook to encourage her friends to come out and say goodbye to Mellow.
One wrote: ‘I’m literally sobbing at work. I love you Mellow!
‘I hope your last walk was the best walk ever.’
Another commented: ‘Usually I don’t let posts get to me, but man oh man this one got me.’
A third wrote: ‘I hope the streets were lined with people.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.