Community members honor their beloved dogs
People painted PAWsitive messages on rocks, which will be arranged on the dog park's path. Photos by Tanvi Kulkarni
Rock Botieri plants a daffodil bulb in memory of his dog, Jake.
The event had an art display from "Unleash the PAWsibilities."
People signed a rainbow banner with names of dogs who had passed away.
Botieri signs the banner.
People painted PAWsitive messages on rocks, which will be arranged on the dog park's path. Photos by Tanvi Kulkarni
Rock Botieri plants a daffodil bulb in memory of his dog, Jake.
The event had an art display from "Unleash the PAWsibilities."
People signed a rainbow banner with names of dogs who had passed away.
Botieri signs the banner.
Families and children gathered at Wareham Dog Park on Sunday, Nov. 8 to remember beloved pets who passed away.
The Dog Park Affiliation of Wareham hosted its second Remembrance Day, which had activities to celebrate their pets. Visitors planted daffodil bulbs in the park's Remembrance Garden with the help of volunteers. More than 4,000 daffodils planted in a pet's memory will bloom next spring, decorating the path many community members walk regularly with their dogs.
Rick Botieri remembered his rescue dog named Jake, who passed away at 15 years old, and planted a daffodil in his memory.
"We did everything that we could, right down to the last minute. We had to let him go, and it's the hardest thing that anyone could do," Botieri said. "So we wanted to make sure we remembered him today, with this bulb."
More than 4,000 daffodils will line the park's path next spring. Attendants also painted rocks that were dog-themed or had positive messages. The rocks will be arranged around the park's path for visitors to enjoy.
The event also had a display of artwork from "Unleash the PAWsibilities," a children's art and creative writing contest hosted by the Dog Park Affiliation.
Lastly, the organization had a rainbow banner, where people could write names of their dogs to be remembered at future events. President Sally Morrison said the banner will be used until it's filled up and displayed with a new banner in the future.
Morrison said one of the families in attendance had buried their dog the morning of the event.
"The people that needed to be here were here today," Morrison said. "It's very emotional for some people, and it helps them process."
