HOUSTON – KHOU 11 viewers asked us to find out more about a heart-warming picture from downtown Houston’s Discovery Green: a photograph of a man doting over an aging dog he’d brought to the park in a baby stroller.
We found out more, and now more than a million more people around the world are celebrating the life of Max the Sheltie and the people who love him.
Our initial story explained how Max, at 16 years old, is arthritic and now completely blind from complications of high blood pressure, but lives a charmed life with his “parents” Edie Mayo and Troy Griffin in a 10th floor apartment across the street from the downtown Houston park. He has his own designated portion of the apartment, Edie and Troy keep tabs on him with an internet camera when they are away, and twice a day they make sure Max gets a trip to Discovery Green to roam the grass and make new friends—he apparently prefers attractive female poodles.
“I don't think you should just turn your back on someone just because they're elderly,” Edie said. "I think they deserve our love and our care and our attention.”
And so far, nearly 1.2 million people world-wide agree.
From a posting on my KHOU Facebook page, Max’s story has been viewed more than 490,000 times and reached approximately 1,174,833 people as of this writing. Max, Edie and Troy have received messages of support from every state and from dog-lovers as far away as Vietnam, Venezuela, South Africa and the Ukraine: dog owners posting pictures of their own aging canine companions and praising the married couple for the humanity they are showing their old friend. A woman in Peoria, Illinois, sent them a medal of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, along with a red, white, and blue bandana.
"It's overwhelming,” Troy said. “Just the sheer numbers."
"It restores my faith that people are looking for the good in everyone,” Edie said. "We've helped other people feel like they're not the ‘crazy dog lady,’” she said with a laugh. “That they're doing the right thing and should be proud of that fact.
And there was the family, with three kids, who waited three hours in Discovery Green, hoping Max would come rolling by.
"And they just wanted to see Max. Not us. But Max. And that makes me happy,” Edie said. "It's the most wonderful thing.”
“It's a great thing,” added Troy.
A wonderful thing that a message about caring for your pets to the end, traveled to the ends of the world.
"Come grow old with me. The best is yet to be,” Edie said reciting one of her favorite quotes. “And I think of that every day,” she said while looking across her apartment at her sleeping canine companion.
Since Max’s eyesight was primarily the result of undiagnosed high blood pressure, they hope that his story can make an impact on veterinarians and dog owners considering blood pressure checks as part of vet visits as well.