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By Rachael O'Connor
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A woman has urged people not to judge anyone they see pushing a dog in a stroller, because often there are unseen, and important, reasons behind it.
Julieanne "Jules" Martin-Ródriguez, 50, lives in Torquay in Devon, United Kingdom, and for 11 years was the proud owner of Cavachon Juan Carlos, who she affectionately refers to as JC.
Martin-Ródriguez could often be seen taking JC—a mix between a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and Bichon Frise—out for a walk, but rather than padding along side her, in his final months the small dog would be been sitting in a stroller that she pushed.
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And "unfortunately," she says, they had faced "ridicule."
"I became ‘the crazy lady with her dog in a pram’ to some people," she told Newsweek. "We would get people shaking their heads as they walked past or scoffing at us as they pushed their babies past us in their strollers. Some people even looked angry that we were walking with a stroller.
"I would just smile and say ‘Good morning,’ but there were times I held my tongue. If only they knew why I would face their stares and scoffs and do it anyway."
In 2023, JC was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and renal disease, with his devastated owners being told he likely only had a few months to live. But while he's surpassed these expectations, for the past year he has begun "to really struggle walking."
And so they bought him a stroller, allowing JC to keep coming on the walks he loved so well, and return to all his favorite places, from "the woods and the fields" to his favorite patch of grass—and "his quality of life vastly improved."
"I do think people would be more understanding if they knew why we did it," she said, adding that "the look of pure joy and happiness JC had when we were out and about with his stroller was worth facing any amount of looks."
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And, she added, there were plenty of people who loved to see JC coming in his stroller, giving him a smile or stopping to say hello.
But there was another reason Martin-Ródriguez wanted to keep JC going on walks for as long as possible—she was repaying a favor.
He had helped her when she was the one going through an illness, getting her back to her strength with daily walks when she was recovering from cancer, with both of them going a little farther each day.
"He never left my side as I recovered. I couldn’t walk far at first, but he never complained when we had to stop, or if I had to return home," she remembered. "After walking with me every step of the way through cancer treatment and recovery, I knew I had to do whatever I could to help him enjoy the walks that had been so important for both my physical and mental health.
"So, when he was no longer able to walk far, it was an honor to be able to get him to his favorite places again."
She said it's a "shame that there are still some people who don’t understand why we do it for our dogs," pointing out that many may be old, sick or injured, and the love of a dog is, for some people, "the greatest love we will ever have the privilege of experiencing."
Sadly, JC died earlier this year at 11 years old, "with a belly full of steak, whipped cream and a Baci chocolate." But Martin-Ródriguez continues to post stories about her dog to her TikTok account, @cavahammock, sharing the reasons why someone might choose a stroller for their dog, and urging people never to judge when they see it.
"If someone is considering a stroller for their dog, just do it," she said. "They will become some of the best memories of your life."
As she put it: "Personally, I would have happily pushed him in his stroller for the rest of my days."
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In one video, posted on October 6 and featuring multiple photos of JC happily being pushed in a stroller on his walk, she spoke about the judgment she had received, and wrote: "When I finished cancer treatment and couldn't walk far, you never complained.
"And now you can't walk so far it is an honor to walk you on your favorite walks... They just don't see that. Maybe if they did they wouldn't be so mean."
TikTok users had a big reaction, watching the video more than 30,000 times, as many left supportive comments on the clip.
"I have a baby and I also have a senior dog, I'm keeping the pram and my dog will be going in it when he needs to," one said, as another wrote: "I adore when people take their elderly animals out in buggies. It means that extra time for them and they get to do the fun bits without being too tired."
Another demanded: "Who is laughing at this baby!! I love it when I see dogs and cats in their carriages still enjoying the fresh air."
And as one put it: "Love them like they deserve. Love them like they love you. Anyone who judges you negatively for loving is just jealous their lives are devoid of such a blessing."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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