Dog owner takes her dying Alaskan mamalute Maggie May on four-hour round trip to the Cairngorms so she could play in the snow for one last time before being put to sleep
- Ashley Mackie wanted to do something special for nine-year-old Maggie May
- 38-year-old from Aberdeenshire, took her dying dog to Cairngorms mountains
- She said: ‘We sat there with Maggie throwing snow around and it was lovely’
A woman took her dying dog on a four-hour return journey to the Cairngroms mountain range so she could play in the snow one last time.
Ashley Mackie wanted to do something special for her beloved nine-year-old Alaskan mamalute Maggie May before she was put to sleep on Monday.
Maggie May had been suffering from severe arthritis for around a year and Ms Mackie knew she did not have long left to enjoy her favourite pastime – playing the snow.
So the 38-year-old from Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire took her loyal companion on one last trip to the Cairngorms.
Ashley Mackie wanted to do something special for her beloved nine-year-old Alaskan mamalute Maggie May
Maggie May had been suffering from severe arthritis for around a year so was treated to one last trip to the mountain range so she could play in the snow
Ms Mackie said: ‘It’s something you just don’t want to consider, but I knew she was failing.
‘Maggie May always felt at home in the Cairngorms and I realised if the snow didn’t come to us, then I would need to bring her to the snow.
‘It was a stunning backdrop for such a special moment with my dog. We have such beauty on our doorstep in this country and I think it can be great medicine when you’re feeling low.
‘We sat there for two hours enjoying the scenery with Maggie throwing the snow around and it was lovely.’
Ashley shared her experience on social media and her post received an outpouring of love and support, gaining more than 25,000 likes and 5,700 shares.
She wrote on Facebook: ‘My beautiful Maggie May is heading to heaven on Monday as her arthritis is seriously bad. Every so often over the last few months I would whisper to her the snow will be coming and today I had to keep my promise and let her see it one last time.
‘As I drove up to the Cairngorms the snow on the peaks broke my heart and made me smile at the same time. Luckily there was a small patch of snow near the car park and we reached it very easily.
‘We sat there for two hours. I’m so glad I found the snow for Maggie today.’
Ashley wrote: ‘My beautiful Maggie May is heading to heaven on Monday as her arthritis is seriously bad. Every so often over the last few months I would whisper to her the snow will be coming and today I had to keep my promise and let her see it one last time. We sat there for two hours. I’m so glad I found the snow for Maggie today.’
Ms Mackie added: ‘I didn’t expect the response I got, it seemed to resonate strongly with a lot of people.
‘When you lose a dog, it’s like losing a family member, a friend and a source of comfort and anyone who has lost a dog will know that.
‘There are a lot of horror stories about animal cruelty out there, but the reaction I got just shows how much dogs are loved by people.’
Ms Mackie welcomed Maggie May into her family nine years ago.
She said: ‘She was such a lovable dog. Maggie May was actually the runt of the litter but I believe that she really turned that around.
‘We used to walk on the beach with her every day and everyone would come to pat her. She was very thoughtful and would take the time to look at and appreciate her surroundings.
‘I have a big family and we will all miss her terribly, which shows what kind of dog she was.
‘My niece, in particular, always asks after Maggie May so it will be hard for her to get used to her not being around any more.’