The time we have with our pets is short. With most of our pets having shorter life expectancies than us (unless you own a giant tortoise), it’s no surprise that a majority of us will still be living when it comes time for our pets to say their final goodbyes. It’s not a happy thought to think about, but at the same time, it’s nice knowing that we may be able to care for and love our animals through every stage in their life.
One pet owner named Ashley Murray knows how hard those goodbyes can be. When she received the news that her dog, Marley, was struck with a severe, rapidly-growing form of cancer called hemangiosarcoma, her heart broke. Although the canine had his spleen removed along with a tumor weighing over three pounds, it was too late. The dog was given just weeks to live.
The news would be devastating for any pet owner, but it was even more so upsetting for Ashley who had the luxury of having Marley in her life during some of the lowest points of her life: losing her baby, saying goodbye to a ten-year-long relationship, dealing with her father’s passing, and struggling with PTSD. Our pets are there for us during these tough times in ways we can’t explain.
“Someone once said to me that Marley was my owner in a past life and now I’m his,” Ashley said in an online post.
Although Ashleigh found Marley’s prognosis incredibly devastating and overwhelming, she knew she needed to do something very special for him before his passing. So, she organized an event called Marley’s Big Walk, asking people to bring themselves and their dogs to walk along as she walked Marley on his favorite path in Crawfordsburn Country Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Apart from the walk itself, Ashleigh had pizza for the dog owners, treats for their dogs, and even a donation box set up for welfare charity, Dog’s Trust, to make the event even more special.
After advertising her event online, Ashleigh was stunned that approximately 350 humans and 400 dogs arrived! Marley was thrilled with the extra guests and had a blast greeting the unfamiliar faces. To see her dog so happy during the final walk event made Ashleigh light up inside.
“Thank you so much for taking him into your hearts, I can never express how much it means to us,” she said. “Never in our wildest puppy dog dreams did we ever think this amount of people would show up for a normal girl and her little doggy.”
Ashleigh is currently waiting for Marley’s latest test results that will give a better idea regarding Marley’s life expectancy. Regardless of what the results entail, I personally believe Ashley did everything she could to best commemorate her furry friend’s life, and she should be proud of that.
If you’re not already crying, you’ll definitely feel bittersweet watching the video of Marley’s Final Walk below!
