Nayana Gadde, a pet photographer in Philadelphia, had planned to stay bundled up indoors on a bitterly cold winter day — until a Facebook post stopped her in her tracks. A local dog mom had just learned she would soon have to say goodbye to her senior pup, Louise, and instead of grieving alone, she decided to give her dog one final, joy-filled celebration.
“This is my girl Louise, and if you live around East Passyunk, you may have seen her begging for pets and using her missing front leg for extra pity over the last decade,” Louise’s mom, Marlana, wrote in the post.
Marlana invited anyone nearby to stop by a specific spot and spoil Louise with love, pets and treats. When Gadde saw the message, she knew she couldn’t stay home.
“I love seeing how much people love their pets with gestures such as this,” Gadde told The Dodo. “I’m an associate photographer for The Tilly Project, which offers end-of-life photo sessions. My sessions are free, with donations going to City of Elderly Love, a local senior pet rescue.”
Despite the freezing temperatures and the last-minute notice, dozens of neighbors showed up — many with pockets full of dog-friendly snacks. Marlana had suggested cheese, and Louise’s fans happily delivered.
“People fed her cheese, I think a cannoli, and some other treats — lots of cheese, though,” Gadde said. “She absolutely loved it. It was almost like she was thinking, ‘OK, next in line, I’m ready!’”
Louise soaked up every second of the attention, wagging through a steady stream of pets, snacks and smiles. Her family was overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers who chose to brave the cold just to make her final day special.
“They all seemed so grateful that random strangers came out in the cold to meet Louise,” Gadde said.
As Marlana wrote in her original post, “There’s nothing more she loved than a stranger with food.” And judging by the turnout, it was clear that those strangers loved her right back — giving Louise a farewell filled with warmth, connection and joy.
