In his years greeting passersby in downtown Victoria, golden retriever Cody earned countless fans with his friendly and soulful manner.
His spirit is living on through a pet food drive organized by his person, Charmaine Britton.
"Everybody here was very supportive, all the many years, the 14-and-a-half years that we brought him to the store. During that time, he touched so many lives that we in turn want to touch other people’s lives, people who really need our help and support," said Britton.
Cody was a fixture in front of Charmaine’s Past and Present, a furniture store on Fort Street.
People would stop to give Cody a quick pat or cuddle, both of which were always welcomed by the pooch.
Cody made headlines and sparked controversy in the spring of 2016, when he started getting tickets for lying out on the sidewalk, unleashed.
The community was outraged that Cody was being treated like any old dog, nevertheless, he was forced to stay inside the store for the rest of his days, behind the closed door, until he passed away from old age, in October, 2017.
Now, over the last week, Britton has been opening the door over and over for people dropping off donations for a pet food drive in Cody’s name.
Their arms have been loaded with dog and cat food, warm pet coats, blankets and toys.
Many give Britton a quick hug along with their donations.
"Awe, it just touches my heart, it’s so wonderful to see the support that we are getting, not only for other animals, but mostly it touches my heart because so many people remember what Cody meant to them," she said.
The supplies are going to the Victoria Pet Food Bank and their Boneless Project, helping pet owners who are homeless, seniors, disabled or low income.
The pet food drive couldn’t have come at a better time, according to Johnny Mavrikos, a Boneless Project volunteer.
Contributions always drop in January, after the busy holiday season.
"Now the demand is the same it always is, except for there’s less donations, so right now, with the help of Charmaine and Cody, we can keep our banks full," said Mavrikos.
He was amazed and relieved by the huge pile of donations which have already been collected.
Some of the dogs they help are in desperate situations.
"A lot of the time they are very cold, they are shivering. They’re a little tentative but as soon as they see that bag of food, they’re your best friend, so you know they’re hungry," said Mavrikos.
Realizing how much they are helping those dogs, makes the loss of Cody just a little easier for Britton.
She has also come to understand she is not alone.
"We’ve had a lot of people coming in in tears this week, still missing Cody, grieving for Cody, and so are we."
