100+ dogs will honor Boston Marathon duo Spencer and Penny at ‘Golden Strong’ fundraiser
Spencer and Penny's lasting mark on the community was apparent in the overwhelming response to the event.
Packs and packs of golden retrievers will cross the Boston Marathon finish line Sunday morning, just a day before the big race.
Spencer & Penny:
Proudly wearing “Golden Strong” bandanas, more than 100 dogs and their owners will take a mile-long stroll to the finish line in a special tribute to Spencer and Penny – the marathon’s favorite golden duo.
Spencer, the official dog of the Boston Marathon, and his “soulmate,” Penny, died just eight days apart from one another, their owners shared on social media back in February.
Spencer, who went viral in 2018 for braving the rainy weather to proudly hold flags in support of Boston Marathon runners, died Feb. 17 from liver cancer at the age of 13.
Penny, who had appeared grief-stricken in the days following Spencer’s passing, died on Feb. 25 at the age of 10, after her owners discovered hemangiosarcoma tumors had spread to her liver.
Hemangiosarcoma, a deadly canine cancer, “is a silent killer and more common than you would believe,” Spencer and Penny’s owner, Rich Powers, wrote on Facebook in February.
In January, artist Tom Mosser unveiled a painting of Spencer, commissioned by the family, which showed Spencer in his element, holding flags along the Boston Marathon route.
Spencer and Penny, who worked as therapy dogs, left a lasting mark on the community, which was further highlighted in the overwhelming response to Sunday’s event.
The event, organized by MA Golden Meetups as a fundraiser for the Morris Animal Foundation, has already exceeded its capacity. Even more people have flooded the Facebook page’s comments, asking for registration to reopen, especially after multiple media outlets spread word about the event.
“Out of respect for the Boston community and the B.A.A. we are no longer accepting RSVP’s,” the organizers wrote on Facebook. “Boston will be a high traffic area the day before race day and our goal is to keep everyone safe.”
The organizers will continue to sell “Golden Strong” bandanas, with proceeds from each sale benefiting the Morris Animal Foundation’s canine cancer research, but they will not be shipped until after Sunday. They also responded to a number of comments on Facebook, noting that they would plan an even bigger event next year to accommodate even more dogs and their owners.
“The Golden community knows cancer too well,” the organizers wrote on Facebook on Feb. 27. “Most of us are too familiar with the devastation of losing a dog to cancer, but to lose two dogs, days apart … well, there just isn’t a word that describes that. Our hearts go out to Spencer and Penny’s family, @thehenrystudio, and the thousands of people who loved them.”
Community members can also continue to donate to the Morris Animal Foundation via Spencer and Penny’s memorial fundraising page.
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