MURRAY, Utah — “I will always remember you.”
“You mean so much to me.”
“Rest in Peace, Torren.”
Those are notes from the kids at Longview Elementary in Murray, found at a makeshift memorial for ten-year-old Torren, a Great Pyrenees that the students knew as a big teddy bear, a friendly face and a shoulder to cry on.
Torren held court each day in the backyard of the Holfetz home that borders the school and made an impact on nearly every child.
“All the kids would just come and say hi to him every day, and they would just stop by and say hi,” shared Chris Holfetz through tears Monday.
Emotions are still raw for Chris and his wife, Mikala, who sadly lost their family dog just this past week. Torren's liver was failing, leaving the family to make the difficult decision to humanely put him down.
His loss has already left a gaping hole in the hearts of so many who loved him.
Utah animal shelters encourage adoption, fostering amid overcrowding concerns:
Utah animal shelters encourage adoption, fostering amid overcrowding concerns
“It was really sweet just to see how much of an impact he’s made on the kids,” said Mikala.
Kids who would spend time during recess, or coming and going to school, have been sharing special moments after the Holfetzes left a sign of Torren's passing at their backyard gate, where the children used to always find their furry friend.
“Immediately, flowers started showing up and cards and notes,” Mikala said. “They didn’t waste any time.
The memorial has become a tribute to Torren.
“We just want to say thank you,” shared Mikala. “Thank you for showing our dog so much love, so much support, and yeah, it was really cool to see.”
“Thanks for always coming by to say hi to him because he loved it,” Chris added. “That was his favorite thing: saying hi to everybody.”
The couple's two sons, Lincoln and Franklin, are too young to realize just what their pet meant to so many other kids in this community. Even the school district sent a note to parents letting them know the dog’s death had caused many kids to be distraught. On
“What was really sweet is when we came out when the bell rang and the entire school just swarmed by, coming from all angles, coming running just to say goodbye,” said Mikala.
The Holfeltz family shared how grateful they are for the outpouring of love and support, such as the notes of heartfelt messages, and the neighbor who reached out to FOX 13 News about Torren and said, “If you ever have any doubt about the difference you can make, look at this dog, and all the good that he did.”
