Dogs Trust are running the first official memory walk for pets who have passed away as the The Big Paws takes place in Dublin this weekend.
It will be an evening walk at Malahide Castle on Saturday the 30th of September, and it is dog friendly.
The walk will be lit up to create a reflective, uplifting experience for people to come together to honour the dogs in their lives, both past and present.
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There are also options to take part in community events taking place throughout the country or to mark the occasion in a personal way.
Last year, Dogs Trust launched ‘Not Just a Dog’, a campaign which aimed to normalise talking about the grief experienced when a much-loved dog passes on. The feedback from the campaign highlighted the importance for an event where dog lovers can take ‘paws’ and reflect on the indelible mark dogs make in their lives.
It is a 3.5km walk through the grounds of Malahide Castle and experience magical light displays highlighting the wonderful bond shared between dogs and their owners. There will be goodies and treats for both dogs and people handed out during the event, as well as live music and plenty of exciting surprises in between.
It starts at 7.30pm and you can grab tickets here.
Those who can't make it to Malahide are encouraged to set up their own memory walks in their own area.
Dogs Trust Ambassador Holly Carpenter told RSVP Live: "Sometimes people don't understand the grief and think 'it's just a dog.' Dogs Trust recognised that there's no ritual or way of marking a dog's passing, so they came up with the idea for The Big Paws."
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