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Legend of Victoria dog ‘Cody’ lives on with successful pet drive

Charmaine’s furniture store collecting donations for Victoria Pet Food Bank
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Cody the golden retriever was a fixture in front of a local Fort Street antique shop before he died in 2017. (ItkasanImages)

The legend of a brown-eyed, golden-haired, tail-wagging greeter at a Victoria furniture store lives on.

Cody, the world-famous golden retriever who graced hundreds with his presence at Charmaine’s Past & Present Home Collections, died in October, 2017 at 14-years-old.

But Cody has been anything but forgotten.

RELATED: Beloved Victoria antique shop pooch passes, his presence mourned by many

His owner, Chairmane Britton, started a pet drive last year and after its success, decided to run the drive again this month. It was only supposed to last until the end of the week but with all the support that’s come in, Britton decided to run the drive until the end of January.

“Even though it’s been over a year since he passed away, there isn’t a day that goes by that…at least five or ten people mention him or ask about him,” Britton said, adding that people often ask what they could do to honour Cody.

“We thought, you know, let’s pick something that’s really going to make a big impact. Cause Cody would love to make a big impact. He was that kind of dog.”

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All donations collected at the pet drive go to the Victoria Pet Food Bank which distributes them to pets in need including homeless, disabled or elderly pets, as well as abandoned cats and dogs. Any type of pet-related items are accepted, from blankets and beds to food and kitty litter.

Britton said the response to the drive has been incredible.

“Our customers are so behind this because they were so in love with Cody… or many have had animals that have touched their lives in a way that has left a big imprint.”

Cody was seven-weeks-old when he started going to work with Britton only one day after she brought him home.

He became famous in the community for his friendly and energetic demeanor, but gained international fame after he appeared in the news for receiving off-leash violation tickets from the City of Victoria.

Britton said people from Uruguay to Moscow have contacted her about her beloved pup.

“Cody was just such a fantastic dog. He had so much personality and so much of a presence that it was amazing to see how people responded to him.”


 
nina.grossman@blackpress.ca