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Terminally Ill Dog Greeted By 400 Furry Friends As He Heads On Last Walk

Terminally Ill Dog Greeted By 400 Furry Friends As He Heads On Last Walk

We're not crying, you are.

Joanna Freedman

Joanna Freedman

A devastated dog owner was left "stunned" as she headed out to take her terminally ill pooch on a walk only to be greeted by over 300 well-wishers and their furry friends.

Ashleigh Murray's pup Marley was only seven years old when they discovered he had haemangiosarcoma - a very aggressive form of cancer which, in his case, was tragically unresponsive to treatment.

After leaning Marley only had weeks to live, his doting owner decided to give him the send off he deserved, creating a Facebook event entitled Marley's Big Walk, in the hope that she could rally a group of dog lovers to come along.



Sentimentally, the park that Ashleigh chose was actually the same place the pooch had one of his first walks, and she revealed he still gets "super excited" about arriving there.

However, she had no idea just how exciting the day would be, as they turned up at Crawfordsburn Country Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, only to be greeted by 350 people and around 400 animals.


Over 350 people and 400 animals turned up (Aicken Photography)
Over 350 people and 400 animals turned up (Aicken Photography)

In a heartwarming display of unity, the whole group proceeded to spend the whole day together, walking around the park and playing with their pups - giving Marley a truly magical day to remember.

The walk drew so much attention that local businesses even joined in on the event, donating treats for the dogs and tasty pizza for the owners to enjoy.

Loads of doggos were happily playing (
Aicken Photography)

And the best part is they were able to raise some money for Dog's Trust in the process, giving Marley an even greater legacy.

Marley's terminal illness is all the more heartbreaking seeing as he's acted as Ashleigh's companion though some very dark times.



The sweet pup stood by her during the breakdown of her 10-year-relationship, the tragic loss of her baby and the death of her father.

Taking to Facebook, Ashleigh emotionally added: "Someone once said to me that Marley was my owner in a past life and now I'm his.

"I have never seen a person and their dog have such a connection like we do - he really is my soul dog."

Everyone rallied together for the walk (
Aicken Photography)

Discussing the fantastic day out and all the support she'd received, an emotional Ashleigh added: "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.

"Thank you all so much to everyone that showed our pup the best day a dog could of asked for."

Ashleigh and Marley had a wonderful day (
Aicken Photography)

We're not crying, you are.

If you want to donate to Ashleigh's GoFundMe and help Dog's Trust in Marley's honour, you can do so here.

Featured Image Credit: Ashleigh Murray/ Facebook

Topics: Dog, Life News, Real