Puppy Up Foundation | Featured Walk – Puppy Up! In Pittsburgh

Rooney with his "Do you want a cookie?" face

Megan Ward-Robinson is the City Leader for the walk in Pittsburgh, PA. Along with her own story about becoming involved in 2 Million Dogs, she wanted to give us some updated information because they changed the location for their Walk.

Our walk will be November 7th – registration at 12PM, walk at 1PM.

We are partnering with the Western PA Humane Society and our registration will take place at their location at 1101 Western Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15233 and the walk will be from their building down Western Avenue to the National Aviary and back.

I became aware of Luke, Murphy and Hudson when they were in Pittsburgh last summer. I was still recovering from losing my black Lab, Rooney, the summer before. We were fortunate that he lived to be a nice old man of 13 years with relatively few health issues. But no matter how lucky we were to have him as long as we did, I was destroyed by his loss. It was an excruciating time for me – I felt alone and lost and sad because people just don’t understand you grieving for a pet for more than a few days. Even having ou r other dog Gus close by wasn’t a comfort, because as much as Rooney was MY boy, Gus is my husband’s boy. It wasn’t me he wanted. And I hadn’t had that feeling for 13 years. I had no place to channel my sadness and it just festered. I took our boy Gus and got him certified as a Therapy Dog thinking this would bring bonding time for he and I.

Gus, just being himself.

But after each visit, he would go barreling in the house to find my husband. I had no dog, and I was afraid I would never be able give my heart away like that and risk going through the loss all over again.

So when I heard about Luke, read his story about losing Malcolm, I got it. I totally felt what he felt and could understand his drive to know why. I didn’t need to know why my boy was gone, but I could understand the pain of losing him and just had to imagine losing him at 6 to cancer and all that we would have missed of his precious life.

Rooney, a few days before he passed away.

So I began following Luke’s journey and was happy to get an email asking for help in organizing the walks this November 7th. I fully believe in the mission of learning all we can so that someday, nobody has to wonder why. Nobody should have to lose their sibling, or parent, or child, or spouse, or their beloved pet and wonder why.

By focusing our resources and putting money in the hands of people who will study the “why’s” of cancer, hopefully we can make a difference.

P.S. – About a year after we lost Rooney, my husband and I felt we really needed to get Gus a new brother or sister and we started looking around at shelters and breed rescues. In May of this year, we found Gus a brother – a 9 year old Chocolate Lab named Stanley we adopted from the Western PA Humane Society. Since he is an older gentleman, he fit right into our life and schedule and appreciates the fact that Gus is a little older too and they both enjoy walking together and well as excessive napping!