Chorlton man's moving open letter sparks heartwarming response from neighbours

Widowed David Whitehead, 75, precocious determination to Chorlton successful Manchester and confessed to missing "canine contact" aft antecedently looking aft rescue dogs with his precocious wife

A pensioner who sent a heart-warming missive to his neighbours asking if could conscionable anyone with favored dogs and articulation them connected walks admitted their effect "far exceeded" his expectations.

Widowed David Whitehead, 75, precocious moved to Chorlton successful Manchester but owed to surviving successful a rental spot helium was incapable to person his ain pet. In the heart-breaking letter, the erstwhile prof of ancident past confessed to missing "canine contact" aft antecedently looking aft rescue dogs with his precocious wife.

The missive was aboriginal shared to a societal media radical with his permission, starring to a barrage of benignant messages and offers of company. According to David, helium has met 5 dogs already with much meets lined up for the adjacent week. Speaking to the MEN he said: "The effect has acold exceeded my expectations. From Tuesday’s flyer that I distributed passim Acres Road, l got 5 replies retired of 40 odd.

"And now, truthful far, a further six person been replies acknowledgment to the document’s afterlife connected Facebook and successful the paper. So I’m delighted. Five dogs met already, and much lined up for adjacent week." Two of the pooches helium has already met are Mango and Peach who beryllium to chap Chorlton resident, Lauren Longman. She came crossed David's enactment connected Facebook similar hundreds of others and decided to scope retired to him and conscionable astatine a section cafe successful Chorlton. She said: "He hadn't seen however fashionable it was, truthful I told him however galore likes and comments determination was and helium was precise surprised.

"I person 2 dogs who are precise affable with radical and I thought astir my dada who was a akin property and is obsessed with dogs. If helium wasn't allowed with dogs, I truly anticipation that immoderate of his neighbours and the assemblage would stock theirs with him.

"He's a beauteous man, precise intelligent and it was truly absorbing to perceive astir his beingness successful academics. What he's done is precise brave, it's truly beauteous that he's felt the Chorlton assemblage person been truthful bully to stock their dogs with him. I don't deliberation I would person felt courageous capable to bash it."

In the notes that David posted connected Tuesday, helium provided his mobile fig and asked for those successful the section country to scope retired if they were interested, earlier apologising for the 'unsolicited note'. He penned: "Hello. Do excuse this unsolicited missive from a well-meaning neighbour. Last period I came to unrecorded astatine Acres Rd.

"Because my location is rented, I americium prohibited from keeping a canine (or so immoderate benignant of pet). Which saddens me. In an earlier beingness successful County Down, Northern Ireland - my precocious woman and I homed a series of rescue-dogs, and I precise overmuch miss canine contact. I americium penning to ask, therefore, whether you person a canine oregon dogs yourself and, if you do, whether you mightiness let maine to conscionable him/her/them. Beyond that, occasionally joining you connected a locomotion (not-too-strenuous: I americium 75!) would mean a batch to me.

"Again: my apologies if you find this attack intrusive; it is surely not meant to be. If you don't, delight see texting maine truthful that we tin sermon however to proceed. Thank you and champion wishes."

David says that portion the missive was retired of his 'comfort zone' helium felt compelled to scope retired for enactment owed to loneliness. David's wife, Arlene, sadly passed distant past twelvemonth and helium has precocious moved from Northern Ireland wherever helium lived with her aft leaving Manchester successful 1992. ""t was extracurricular my comfortableness portion to bash thing similar this," He told the MEN. "l realised that it was apt to wage higher dividends than simply sitting successful a parkland and hoping for the best.

"l had been lonely since March 2024, erstwhile my woman died aft a agelong illness. But that was successful Northern Ireland. I subsequently decided to determination backmost to Manchester. And it was being here, successful a rented house, that made maine miss truthful acutely the dogs we had ever had implicit there. So I did instrumentality this uncharacteristic measurement of “putting myself retired there” and l americium precise gladsome l did."

Thanking each the radical who near benignant messages and person offered to walk clip with him, David said: "I’d similar to convey besides the bonzer fig of radical who “liked” oregon commented connected the FB station oregon the portion successful the paper. I lone saw 1 ungracious remark successful what was different an water of kindness and support."