Irma Blood took her 9-year-old Pomeranian to a charity pet walk Saturday at McDade Park in Scranton for a priest's blessing.
The Port Crane, N.Y., resident adopted the diminutive dog, named Miss Molly Mae, from a rescue organization four years ago.
"She can't walk. She's had a rough life. She was probably five days from dying" when rescued in New York, Ms. Blood said of her dog.
So, Ms. Blood pushed the pooch in a baby stroller at the fifth annual Memorial Pet Walk hosted by Tracey's Hope Hospice Care Program & Rescue for Domestic Animals Inc.
The pet walk is named for Denise Kumor's 13-year-old dog, Tracey, who died more than a decade ago from kidney failure. Ms. Kumor could not bear to see her beloved pet spend her dying moments in a veterinarian's office and instead took her home, where the sheltie/Jack Russell terrier mix died in her arms.
Tracey became the inspiration for the nonprofit organization that provides hospice care to sick pets, pet rescue and adoption services.
The annual walk drew a crowd of more than 100 people, including volunteer staff and walkers with pets. Dogs of all breeds and sizes strolled with their owners through the park.
Jim Mazonis and Deanna Deaton of Pittston had perhaps the largest dog and smallest dog at the walk - their St. Bernard, named St. Barney, and their long-haired Chihuahua, named Stella May.
"They're brother and sister," Ms. Deaton said of the odd-couple canines, who each are 18 months old.
The annual walk was bittersweet for Ms. Kumor. While she was pleased with the turnout and support, she also was a little somber because she still grieves for the pet she described as her "soul mate."
"Hospice is needed; it's very needed" to help pet owners through such ordeals, Ms. Kumor said. "People can't grieve because they feel odd, because, you know, 'It's just a dog.' But it's not just a dog. It's a family member."
Help for troops
Meanwhile, the third annual Finishing the Fight 5K Run/Walk at Blakely Borough Recreation Complex on Saturday drew 172 participants, said organizer Angel Lubeck. "It went fantastic," she said.
The charity sends care packages to deployed troops all year long.
Diabetes walk
A few hundred people also descended on PNC Field in Moosic on Saturday for the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. Proceeds from this event benefit JDRF, formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, in its efforts to eradicate the disease.
Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter