A group of golden retrievers and their owners came together for a Boston meetup honoring the late Boston Marathon dog Spencer and his late niece Penny.
Organized by MA Golden Meetups, the very good boys and girls got to embark on a "Golden Strong" walk in Boston Common and meet Boston Marathon runners in person on Sunday. It's the second year the meetup has been held ahead of Monday's 128th running of the iconic marathon.
The late Spencer died on Feb. 17, 2023, after a second bout of cancer. The 13-year-old was a beloved therapy dog who would cheer on Boston Marathon runners with bright blue "Boston Strong" flags since 2015. Spencer was recognized as the official Boston Marathon dog in 2022.
Spencer's owner Richard Powers told "Good Morning America" last year that the special golden retriever "really epitomized what the Boston Marathon is about, which is overcoming obstacles and doing the best you can."
"He was our world. He was everything. He and Penny -- they were just wonderful dogs and each of them were too good not to share, and so that's what we did," Powers said shortly after Spencer's death.
Penny, Spencer's canine niece, also cheered on marathon runners and died shortly after Spencer. Powers announced in an Instagram post that Penny, who was 10, died on Feb. 25, 2023, just eight days after Spencer's death. According to Powers, Penny also had a type of canine cancer called hemangiosarcoma.
Sunday's meetup raised funds for the Morris Animal Foundation's hemangiosarcoma and canine cancer research initiative.
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