Beloved Boston Marathon Pup Spencer Dies After Severe Medical Challenges

Spencer, the beloved Boston Marathon dog known for holding signs and cheering on runners, has died after severe medical challenges.

Source: CBS Boston/Youtube

Spencer, a famous and loved golden retriever known for cheering on Boston Marathon runners, has died at the age of 13. Spencer died after overcoming multiple bouts of cancer, according to a post from his human, Rich Powers.

“We are devastated to share the news of Spencer’s passing. We were loaned and incredible gift in 2009 and we had to return the gift last Friday,” Powers wrote on an Instagram post.

Spencer had overcome some severe medical challenges over recent years and the family thought he might only have a month. However, Spencer was “not ready to give up”. Powers said that with the love and positive energy from hundreds of thousands of fans, he beat the odds and lived another 28 months.

View this post on Instagram

“We have enjoyed sharing our special gift with you all. He has been an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people. He was an angel on earth. Any who had the good fortune to actually meet him in person can attest that when you touched him he emitted pure energy and light.”

Spencer first went viral in 2018 while holding flags in his mouth that read “Boston Strong” during the annual marathon. During the pandemic, Spencer took a break but returned in 2021 to help rally runners. Before the 2022 marathon, the Boston Athletic Association named Spencer the official dog of the 126th Boston Marathon.

Spencer spent his last day “eating his sweet potato treats, drinking water and enjoying visitors,” according to Instagram.

Animals Are My Favorite People Sweatshirt By Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection

Related Content:

• Meet the Amazing Dogs Who Are Comforting People in the Wake of Tragedy
• 8 Ways to Celebrate Dogs on National Dog Day — and Any Day!
• Instagram-Famous Dog Family Is Fostering Shelter Pups – And Their Account Is the Most Beautiful Thing You Will Ever See
• Dog Famous For Riding Seattle Transit By Herself Has Passed Away
• Patron, Famous Bomb Sniffing Dog Receives State Honor From Ukrainian President

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!