A group of golden retrievers gathered at the finish line on Boylston Street near Copley Square to pay tribute to Spencer, a golden retriever who used to wave a “Boston Strong” flag at the Boston Marathon before his death earlier this year.
MA Golden Meetups, a group that plans events for golden retrievers, organized the walk, which raised about $1,000 through the sale of “golden strong” bandanas, to be donated to Morris Animal Foundation for cancer research.
Spencer, a therapy dog and a local celebrity, was diagnosed with a tumor in 2020 but recovered and returned to the race in 2021, waving his flag. However, he was diagnosed with another, cancerous tumor in 2022, and began chemotherapy.
Despite his illness, he made it to the 2022 race, where he was named the official dog of the marathon.
After Spencer passed away, the group decided to honor his memory at the 2023 marathon by walking to the finish line with “Spencer Strong” flags.