Beloved dog’s passing brings Delaware County community together: 'Darby was a great dog'

HAVERTOWN, Pa. - It’s part of the circle of life in pet ownership when your furry friend passes over the rainbow bridge leaving grieving families behind with memories. But, in one Delaware County community, a beloved dog’s passing didn’t go unnoticed or unrecognized.

Videos of Darby play, showing him swimming in the backyard pool, catching a treat off his nose, and happily riding in the backseat of the family car, always happily greeting everyone, especially kids in the front yard of his Havertown home.

"I cried until I couldn’t cry anymore and it’s just amazing the effect dogs have on your life," Darby’s mom, Janet Mount, explained.

Darby, an 8-year-old Golden Retriever, suddenly got sick in December. Weak with cancer, three weeks later, the Mount’s made a difficult decision. In the midst of their own grief, Janet said, "The first thing we thought of was how are we gonna tell the kids in the neighborhood?"

Darby had been a star on his stoop, a loyal friend to his family and school kids who passed every day.

Janet came up with a plan, "I was googling lawn signs and I found one on Staples and I had it custom-made and delivered four days later."

The lawn sign was created by Darby’s family as a way to share the sad news of his passing, but ultimately, it did so much more than that. Janet described an encounter, saying, "I’m normally not at a loss for words, but these two little girls came up to my door. I was speechless."

After seeing the sign, school children brought handmade cards to express their sorrow and offer comfort.

"We saw that sign and we were really bummed, because Darby was a great dog," Brady Ishmael said.

A neighbor girl said, "I wanted to have a dog like him."

Janet added, "Neighbors turned into friends because of Darby."

"When I saw the sign, that really touched me deeply and I reached out. We’ve never been introduced," Gerd Dewald commented.

A dog’s life brings joy, companionship, loyalty, remembered with love and memorialized by a simple sign, bringing a community together to show their support and friendship, in the circle of life.