Beloved town dog “George” remembered by community members

EUPORA, Miss. (WCBI) – They say every dog has its day.

In the summer of 2019, Eupora’s town dog had his.

Over the years, he’s racked up a huge following on social media.

After being diagnosed with Lymphoma, George crossed the rainbow bridge in May of 2021.

Members of the community say they feel like they’ve lost a family member.

“You would go to McDonald’s, he’d be at McDonald’s. You would come to work, he would be at work. If you went to the tea shop, he would be at the tea shop with his owner,” said Leah Herard.

George wasn’t a stray dog, and he certainly was no stranger, either.

He’s been wandering around Eupora for a number of years, greeting everyone in his path with a loving smile and a wagging tail– Perhaps at a time when the community needed it most.

“You now at a time when we’re supposed to social distance and not have interaction with people, we could still interact with George,” said Herard.

“I feel like we needed something like that in this town, you know. After the corona and everything and everybody is so depressed. He was just something that could lift everybody’s spirits, you know,” said Jessica Hawk.

“Everybody loves George. So, if you’re having a bad day, he’d come by and make you feel better,” said James Dennis.

George could make friends with just about anybody, but he was very fond of children.

“Yeah he been in my life for like, a hundred million years… He was my best friend, and he died because he went in heaven with Jesus and God, ” said 6-year-old Bradley Box.

Herard has two daughters who were also friends of George.

“Their eyes would light up when they saw him. We would holler “George!” when we drove down the road and he would just perk his ears up because that was how loud it was in the vehicle,” said Herard.

Since George’s passing last week, it seems like the community has shared their grief with one another– Some even pitching in to help lay him to rest.

“I work at a hardware store with lumber in the back, so it’s nothing to just grab some stuff and some tools and just get something together,” said Dennis.

“The Eupora Post Office was one of George’s favorite places to go, in fact, you can even spot him on Google Maps, laying right here in the grass. Now, there’s a growing petition to have a statue of George erected in this very location,” said Cash Matlock, WCBI News reporter.

“I told my husband if they don’t put a statue at the Post Office, I’ve lost faith in humanity,” said Herard.

In addition to the monument, there are also talks of fundraising in George’s honor.

“Possibly starting a fund for some of the other stray dogs in the community to help find them homes,” said Dennis.

It’s a sad time for the folks in Webster County. George can no longer be found in the Grocery store parking lot or basking in the sunlight near his favorite napping spot.

But one thing’s for sure… When folks drive through Eupora, they can’t help but stop and think… “Where’s George?”

“I would tell him I love him every day when I see him. That’s because I miss him,” said Box.

For more information on the petition to get George a statue, you can visit the Where’s George Memorial Page on Facebook.