Residents who lost their pets in the Marshall Fire last year are finding comfort and healing through the creation of a memorial.
The non-profit Louisville Rising organized a meet-up in Davidson Mesa Dog Park Saturday to share their vision for the memorial. It includes an art installation that honors pets lost in the fire.
Families and friends gathered at the park to get a look at some of the memorial's early stages.
Jill Sellars, a Superior resident who lost both her home and dog, Peanut,said she and her husband later adopted a dog named Pennyto bring some healing and reflection during a difficult time.
"She's been extremely comforting," said Sellars. "Peanut used to sleep with us. Penny now sleeps with us. She sleeps in the same spot that Peanut did. For me, that was extremely comforting. I can't say it was the easiest transition. She didn't know my husband actually that well and she would growl at him when he tried to get in the bed. But we have really just sort of, all fallen in love with each other."
Sellars also said she's very happy about the future construction of the pet memorial.
"We lost absolutely everything we ever had," said Sellars. "But the most devastating thing was losing our pets and for us, losing Peanut. So, having that memory is just so important because we don't want them to be forgotten."
The decision as to where the memorial will be constructed remains in question.
Caleb Dickinson is the chair of Louisville Rising.He said discussions between the organization and the city are on-going.
"We're rebuilding our homes, but we can't replace our pets," said Dickinson. "So this is a really important part of the process."
Dickinson added that the plan is to have the memorial open sometime next fall.
