People are paying tribute to a golden retriever after his owner mourned his passing in an obituary that has since gone viral.
Sallie Gregory-Hammett, from Greenville, South Carolina, got Charlie when she was 23, after just moving to a new city.
After Charlie died on 13 September from lymphoma "after five months of bravery,” Gregory-Hammett decided to honour his memory with an obituary, she told HuffPost.
"I’ve always loved writing, and when Charlie passed it was just so overwhelming that I needed to do something cathartic," she said, adding that she wanted "something to celebrate and memorialise him, because he was such a huge part of my life."
In the obituary, she reflects on Charlie’s early life and his relatives, before remembering all of his favourite things, such as walking, stick collecting, swimming, smiling and snoozing.
“If we’re being honest, Charlie loved everything life had to offer (except stairs. He hated stairs.) Charlie loved the beach, car rides, bananas, and socks,” Gregory-Hammett wrote. “Charlie always loved going to his Grandma and Grandpa's house, where he could get treats, chase squirrels, and pee everywhere cousin Captain peed.
“Charlie went tailgating, camping, hiking, and fishing. He lived the very best life.”
Gregory-Hammett then went on to reflect on the relationship she shared with the dog, writing: "More than anything else, Charlie loved his mom. He was always there to greet her with some kisses and a firm grip on her arm. He was her constant companion."
According to the obituary, Charlie spent his last days at his favourite place, the beach, where he “relaxed in the Charlie-sized holes he dug himself, and dove straight into the oncoming waves.”
“He will be forever missed and forever remembered, but he left behind his fierce love, which never wavered,” the obituary concludes, before adding that in lieu of flowers, the family requests dog-owners give their pups “some extra love in honour of Charlie.”
According to the 30-year-old, she originally wanted to publish the tribute in a local newspaper, but after finding out how much it would cost, decided to simply publish it on Twitter.
As of Wednesday, the mock obituary has been liked more than 108,000 times on Twitter, where thousands have also paid tribute to Charlie.
“Love you, Charlie. Good boy,” one person wrote.
Another commented: “So very sorry for your loss, and thank you for sharing this with us. He sounds like a fine fella, and the photo shows his beautiful nature.”
“This is so beautiful,” someone else said. “So sorry for your loss, Charlie sounds like he was a wonderful son.”
The outpouring of support has been “so comforting,” according to Gregory-Hammett, who told HuffPost: “The likes are awesome but the best part has been all of the replies.
“Reading about everyone else’s special doggos, and all the people that say they loved Charlie even though they never met him. It’s just been so comforting - it makes me feel less alone and just flooded with love.
“And Charlie has been so celebrated! He was a special boy and it means the world to me.”
