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Hundreds join 18-year-old dog for his bittersweet final walk on the beach

Posted at 12:35 PM, Nov 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-15 12:35:04-05

NEWQUAY, England – Walnut the whippet got the ending he deserved.

His owner, Mark Woods, wrote a post on Facebook earlier this month that the 18-year-old dog would have to be euthanized because his health was deteriorating quickly.

He asked people to come to Porth Beach on Saturday to join him for Walnut’s last walk.

The post was shared more than 2,300 times and garnered more than 19,000 reactions on Facebook.

“He has had an incredible life and having reached the grand age of 18 is ready for his final sleep,” Woods wrote on Facebook.

People responded to Woods’ post in a big way.

“I’ve had tens of thousands of messages from all over the world,” Woods told Reuters. “I wish I could answer them all, but thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of those messages.”

Hundreds of dog owners gathered on the beach Saturday to meet Walnut and give him one last memorable walk at his absolute favorite spot.

After the incredible turnout, Walnut was put down. Woods said he didn’t want his best friend to suffer any more.

The walk started the #WalkWithWalnut movement on social media. People who attended Walnut’s walk posted pictures and shared their memories from the day.

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Fantastic turn out for Walnuts final walk on Porth beach in #Newquay 🐶 #walkwithwalnut #Cornwall

A post shared by Lowenna Pascoe ♥ (@cornwall_lover) on