When you see a stroller in the park, it’s usually because a loving mom or dad has decided to take his son or daughter out for some fresh air. It’s a common sight, really, and it’s rare that someone would even turn their head at seeing it.
But how would you react if you spotted a stroller without a child in it? One with a mysterious man bent beside it?
When Doug Delony took his daily jog through Houston’s Discovery Green Park in Texas, he was intrigued by a man and his empty stroller. To sate his curiosity, he went a little closer to clarify what he was seeing.
He quickly realized what the man with the stroller was doing, and immediately grabbed his phone to take a picture.
After all, it wasn’t exactly the ordinary …
When Doug shared the image on social media, it began to spread quickly. The reason behind that, however, is probably not what you’d think.
Doug, who loves to jog through his favorite park of Discovery Green, one afternoon spotted a man kneeling down beside an empty stroller.
But it wasn’t the stroller itself that attracted his attention, so much as the creature beside it. Doug quickly took a discreet photo, according to the Epoch Times.
He had no idea the photo would gain viral status before too long.
The man in the image didn’t even know he’d been snapped – now his face was being spread around the internet for thousands to see.
When things settled down, Doug’s bosses at the KHOU TV station decided they wanted to know more about the man behind the photo.
It seemed everyone wanted to identify this mystery man with his empty stroller, and KHOU were aiming to get an exclusive story.
Fortunately, due to the viral nature of Doug’s post, it was possible to locate the man.
His name is Troy Griffin, and he lives on the tenth floor of an apartment block just a few hundred yards from the park.
But understand that Troy is far from a bad person. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Doug’s post from Facebook:
“Most afternoons I take a run through Discovery Green, and most afternoons I see this guy with a stroller but no baby.
“He brings this beautiful… what appears to be… disabled pup to the park. He lets it sit in the grass and take in the smell and the sound.
Here he is giving it water out of a small cup he brings with him. An adorable dog and a nice guy- God bless ’em.“
Bringing a dog to the park for a walk might not seem all that incredible, but Troy’s old sheepdog, Max, is sick and therefore struggles to get around by himself.
Troy wants his 16-year-old companion to experience the feeling of grass under his paws and the smell of scents available in the park, so he uses the stroller.
When they arrive at the park, he lifts Max out of the stroller so he can enjoy a walk around. According to Troy, Max becomes another dog when he’s given freedom, despite the fact he’s extremely old and blind in one eye.
Max has been with Troy and his family since he was three-weeks-old, and so his human parents will do anything to ensure he’s comfortable and still living the best life available to him.
As Troy explained to KHOU: “He’s part of our family,” said Mayo, “He’s my best friend.”
He continued: “But I don’t think you should just turn your back on someone just because they’re elderly. I think they deserve our love and our care and our attention.
“And there is so much we can learn from them even as they get older.”
Although Max is ill and has his struggles with health, he still seems to be a very happy dog indeed. In addition, he has taught Troy and his wife one of the most important lessons in life: Treat older people with respect and make sure they feel loved and happy!
This story really touched me on a deep level. So often do we read about dogs being mistreated and beaten, so it was uplifting to read about Troy and how he goes that extra mile to ensure Max is happy.
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