Four people tragically lost their lives Friday April 7, 2017 in a vicious attack when a man drove a stolen truck into a crowd of people in Stockholm, Sweden. Since the incident, mourners have remembered those lost by creating lovely displays of flowers, candles and gifts at the site. But one little victim named Iggy was excluded from the memorial until loving dog dad, Markus Krantz, inadvertently started a movement.
https://www.facebook.com/markus.krantz.7/posts/441014229570509
Krantz has five rescue dogs of his own. He visited the site of the attack on Friday evening with his wife, and noticed that no one had laid down any gifts or remembrances in honor of Iggy. Krantz decided to create his own mini display of dog bones, two small candles, and a collar that once belonged to his “true friend,” Ebba – a Jack Russell Terrier who passed away last summer.
He posted a photo of the dog memorial to Facebook at his mother’s request, and it soon went viral. As of April 11, his post had more than 57,000 reactions and 7,200 comments! Krantz had no idea just how much his makeshift memorial impacted the people of Stockholm – and the whole world – until he was contacted by a canine rescue group in Ireland.
Dogs Aid, located in Dublin, informed Krantz that Iggy had been a rescue dog they placed with a Swedish family in 2012. They asked if he would be willing to return to the site and place a tribute to Iggy on their behalf.
When Krantz arrived at the memorial, Iggy’s section had multiplied to nearly the size of the human victims’. By Tuesday, it was bigger still. Krantz told Buzzfeed:
“It’s full of flowers, stuffed animals, cards, bones, collars and treats. So Iggy is really being remembered.”
The massive response to Krantz’s small act of kindness has even led to Iggy’s family reaching out.
“They thanked me for bringing light to their lost family member since they hadn’t managed to go back to the site of the attack since it happened,” he told Buzzfeed. “It meant the world to me to find out that they were not injured, and that they were thankful for the gesture. When the story broke I had some anxiety about the fact that the owners might be offended in some way over the massive attention brought to Iggy’s passing. So it felt really good to know they were thankful.”
To Iggy and the four human souls senselessly taken on Friday, April 7, 2017: Rest in Peace.
H/T to BuzzFeed
Featured Images via Dogs Aid & Emma Cunningham
