Smiley, the blind therapy dog, sure had his fair share of hardships. Blind since birth, the adorable Golden Retriever therapy dog was much-loved throughout Ontario and beyond, becoming famous on Instagram due to his loving personality and ability to succeed against all odds. via @smileytheblindtherapydog But the 10-year-old pooch recently began battling cancer and his human companion had to let all of his over 200,000 followers know that Smiley wouldn't make it. After he passed away just over two weeks ago, friends and fans of Smiley started a petition to have him immortalized with a statue in Berczky Park, a popular hanging spot for dogs in Toronto. via @smileytheblindtherapydog Since the petition started on Change.org, over 27,000 people have signed the claim which requests that an existing golden retriever statue at the park’s popular dog-themed fountain be dedicated to Smiley. Recommended for you Originally from Stouffville, Ontario, Smiley and his human companion, Joanne, have had some pretty amazing experiences, including television appearances, meetings with Prime Minister Trudeau and exclusive invitations to Parliament Hill. The famous pooch was rescued from a puppy mill by a therapy dog trainer, and was later diagnosed with dwarfism. But under his trainer's guidance, he excelled in the St. John Ambulance therapy dog program and became a therapy dog in 2009. His loving personality and inspiring story helped make him Stouffville's citizen of the year in 2016. You can access the petition to help memorialize Smiley here. Source: Metro News
