Man takes dying dog for final walk around PA neighborhood — and neighbors show out big

A dog named Mellow took his final walk around his Pennsylvania neighborhood, and the pup’s neighbors turned out in a big way.

The final walk was organized by Kevin Curry, whose dog was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. Curry said in a letter that went in neighbor’s mailboxes that Mellow would be dying in June.

Curry walked his dog twice a day — “rain, snow or shine” — and he and Mellow became familiar faces with many people in the Dupont neighborhood. So when it came time for Mellow’s final walk, Curry wanted to make sure neighbors got to say their goodbyes.

“I will be marching around the neighborhood on Saturday, June 3 from 7-8PM and would love to say goodbye to you face-to-face if you are available,” Curry wrote in the letter on Mellow’s behalf. “Come out to pat me on the head or rub my belly and I will be forever grateful (I love people after all).”

The letter said the neighbors had made Mellow’s life “so much richer than any rescue dog could have hoped for.”

The owner expected a “small celebration” for Mellow, a boxer-pit bull mix, according to the The Citizens’ Voice. But the final walk was anything but small.

Images shared on Facebook by KJ Warunek show many neighbors greeting the dog, who was smiling big on his last walk.

“There were groups of people at every corner of his route, waiting on him,” Warunek said. “His daddy didn’t want to make it a huge thing, but we kind of did. 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 (wept). It was a pleasure meeting this brave boy.”

Some children made signs along the walk route, while others brought their own dogs out for a final goodbye to Mellow.

Mellow’s last walk was highlighted by the popular We Rate Dogs account on Twitter, getting millions of views. Many people called the story heartwarming, and some shared shared their own final memories with their pups.

Curry told The Citizens’ Voice he would miss his daily walks with Mellow, whom he called “the perfect dog.”

“He hasn’t given me one bad day in my seven years,” Curry told the newspaper.

Dupont is about 115 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

This story was originally published June 7, 2023 at 7:07 AM with the headline "Man takes dying dog for final walk around PA neighborhood — and neighbors show out big."